,-~:§§&£## ##£&§§:~-,
,.¨,:^§@£# #£@§^:,¨.,
.,«==£@@## ##@@£==«,.
¨^»§*££### ###££*§»^¨
¨,«\^£@¶## ##¶@£^\«,¨
¨~=;*$§£## ¨ . , ##£§$*;=~¨
¨:-^=†§%§# ¨ #§%§†=^-:¨
.,~†:^\\¤§ , , §¤\\^:†~,.
¨^»=**£¶## ^ 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. ##£&¤*^=-,
¨,~/%$## ###&$%/~,¨
¨.¨¨./§$¤£ £¤$§/.¨¨.¨
.^~/*¤#### ####¤*/~^.
,¨¨:«~;%*¤ ¤*%;~«:¨¨,
,-~/$%§### ###§%$/~-,
,¨¨.¨,,^%# #%^,,¨.¨¨,
¨,~\:**§&& &&§**:\~,¨
.-~;†¤## ###&¤†;~-.
..¨¨,~†@£# #£@†~,¨¨..
..~†==†%¤& &¤%†==†~..