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