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