¨¨,..¨.^»=                                          =»^.¨..,¨¨
,,¨¨,...-~                                          ~-...,¨¨,,
¨¨..,.,¨.^                                          ^.¨,.,..¨¨
,.,.,,.¨.,                                          ,.¨.,,.,.,
¨,¨,.,.,,-                                          -,,.,.,¨,¨
,,¨.¨.¨¨.-    ¨              ,                    , -.¨¨.¨.¨,,
¨¨¨¨¨...~^          ,                               ^~...¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨.¨.~»;§ ,                                .       §;»~.¨.¨¨,
¨,..,-»^%@                ^     TINY BLUE PURPLE    @%^»-,..,¨
,¨,,:~:†%@     ~  SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE    ¨ @%†:~:,,¨,
,.¨,«*^%£@  HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND=               @£%^*«,¨.,
¨.,»/%¤&@#         THE EARTH, SPINNING, CHASING.    #@&¤%/»,.¨
..-†$@@@##  ~                .                      ##@@@$†-..
.¨^=*$%§@#     LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH LASER EYES,    #@§%$*=^¨.
.¨,-==†¤§£    LOOKS AT THE EARTH'S POWER GRID,.     £§¤†==-,¨.
.,..-~†*£§     ¨  .                    ,            §£*†~-..,.
,.¨¨.~-††£      SAYS "HMM...."        »             £††-~.¨¨.,
,,,¨¨¨-=^^   ,                                      ^^=-¨¨¨,,,
...¨¨.¨,~/            †            ¨                /~,¨.¨¨...
.¨¨,¨¨¨¨~~     .                        ~           ~~¨¨¨¨,¨¨.
¨¨...,,..,  SHE SWIMS TOWARD THE ISS.               ,..,,...¨¨
,¨,¨,,,,¨¨  MATCHES VELOCITY, PHASES THROUGH THE    ¨¨,,,,¨,¨,
,,¨,¨.¨¨.,   WALL TO A POCKOCMOC SCIENTIST,  ,      ,.¨¨.¨,¨,,
¨¨¨.,..¨~»    ~ ¨                                   »~¨..,.¨¨¨
¨.,..,¨:~=                  SHE SAYS, "HELLO",      =~:¨,..,.¨
,¨,,¨.:=;%      SHE SAYS "ARE YOU AWARE THAT        %;=:.¨,,¨,
,,.¨.~«:†@                 THERE'S A BURST          @†:«~.¨.,,
.¨...~:%£&     ~            COMING?"         %      &£%:~...¨.
,,.,~†%$&£             -                            £&$%†~,.,,
,.-»†^$#£# ~     AND THE STATION PERSONNEL          #£#$^†»-.,
.,~†%£££##    ARE LIKE, NO, WHAT,  «                ##£££%†~,.
¨..~/%%@##   WHO ARE YOU, ETCETERA, ETCETERA.       ##@%%/~..¨
...,»†$$£¶       :                         *        ¶£$$†»,...
,¨.,,=/%@&    SHE SAYS†"I CAN PROTECT YOU           &@%/=,,.¨,
,.¨¨.-~†=£ †   IN YOUR TIN CAN,    *          †     £=†~-.¨¨.,
¨,,...,~*$      BUT YOUR PLANETARY FRIENDS,       ¤ $*~,...,,¨
.¨,.¨,¨^»*       THEIR GRID WILL BE BURNED."  †     *»^¨,¨.,¨.
.¨.,,,,¨,-   *         =          $       ^         -,¨,,,,.¨.
,.,,¨,.,¨^    SHE SAYS "YOU WILL BE ALONE   ¤   §   ^¨,.,¨,,.,
¨¨¨,..,,¨,          ¤   FOR A WHILE". †    *        ,¨,,..,¨¨¨
,.,¨..¨,,.     £           ¤           £            .,,¨..¨,.,
.,,,¨,¨..~  #      ¤    £    *   ¤  @ †§  †   ^     ~..¨,¨,,,.
¨,,¨,¨¨^~/ :.THE SELKIE PHASES BACK OUT,:-~^@,#,~.- /~^¨¨,¨,,¨
,..,¨,,~/^ £:#/§:#/§†£SPREADS HER MEMBRANES,:#*#/&^ ^/~,,¨,..,
.,,¨¨,~†=$ £¤%¤§%£§@*£¤LIKE FLUID INSECT WINGS,&§$@ $=†~,¨¨,,.
.,..,~=^$& #.¨# #.A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # &$^=~,..,.
.¨,.«*^%##  ,,   ¨       ,  ,    ¨    ,¨       ,    ##%^*«.,¨.
,.,»*§$¤@#  ,¨  SHE FEEDS¨ON¨THE PARTICLES WHEN,  ~ #@¤$§*»,.,
¨~~;%@&@##  ,¨ THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN.    ¨  - ##@&@%;~~¨
.,-~/*£¤@#  ,¨ AND BEHIND¨HERE IS.A SHADOW, AND   : #@¤£*/~-,.
¨¨.-=*†§£¶   ,IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION.. ¶£§†*=-.¨¨
.¨¨,-»^§%&   ,   ¨       ,       ,    ,           - &%§^»-,¨¨.
¨¨.,,.«^$$   ¨           ¨       ¨    ,     ,       $$^«.,,.¨¨
¨¨,,.¨-=;% A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL-DARK.  %;=-¨.,,¨¨
¨¨.¨,..,~=  THERE'S NO CONTACT,  ¨          ,       =~,..,¨.¨¨
.,,,..¨,,«    MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,-       «,,¨..,,,.
.,¨,.¨¨,¨-  ~   CONFIRMING THAT SOME        -       -¨,¨¨.,¨,.
......,.¨.  -    SOCIETY'S STILL THERE.             .¨.,......
¨,..¨¨¨¨¨,  ^            ¨                          ,¨¨¨¨¨..,¨
,.,,¨.¨¨^«  -     THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL -       «^¨¨.¨,,.,
¨¨,,¨.,~~;        THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD         ;~~,.¨,,¨¨
...,..,«=§        SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP,     §=«,..,...
¨¨..¨.=†%§       TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW.     §%†=.¨..¨¨
.,.¨:~^†$#                                          #$†^~:¨.,.
¨¨¨:»\^%&#                                          #&%^\»:¨¨¨
¨,.=\%¤§@#                                          #@§¤%\=.,¨
.,-/%&####                                          ####&%/-,.
,,,=†$*#£#                                          #£#*$†=,,,
,¨¨-«*%£¤£                                          £¤£%*«-¨¨,
.,¨¨-«=§$£                                          £$§=«-¨¨,.
.,..,,«†%%                                          %%†«,,..,.
..¨¨¨¨~«^$                                          $^«~¨¨¨¨..
...,¨,¨~»^                                          ^»~¨,¨,...