#@#¤§^;~^, ,^~;^§¤#@#
£¶¤¤£$/«-¨ ¨-«/$£¤¤¶£
##@#$%==^, ,^==%$#@##
##@¤£%/~,¨ ¨,~/%£¤@##
#@@&@*/~~, ,~~/*@&@@#
@$&%:-,,,, . ¨ ¨ ,,,,-:%&$@
##£§£%\~^¨ , ¨^~\%£§£##
@#%:.¨.¨¨. , ¨ .¨¨.¨.:%#@
##@¤$%*»,, † TINY BLUE PURPLE ,,»*%$¤@##
¤*^^†»~¨.. - 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,&§$§ ,.,¨.=%*§#
###¤&=\~^. #¨,# #¨A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # .^~\=&¤###
£§§^-,...¨ ,. , . . , ¨, , ¨...,-^§§£
#@@£§=^-~. .. SHE FEEDS,ON,THE PARTICLES WHEN, ~ .~-^=§£@@#
#^==»..,,¨ ,, THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. . , ¨,,..»==^#
¶&§~~^,¨¨. ¨. AND BEHIND.HERE IS.A SHADOW, AND . .¨¨,^~~§&¶
#@#¤§§;»-, .IN THAT SHADOW,IS THE SPACE STATION.^ ,-»;§§¤#@#
###£§$^~~. , , , . , , .~~^$§£###
££¶£@*†~-. ¨ ¨ ¨ . , .-~†*@£¶££
##¶££**-~. A MONTH LATER,.THE EARTH IS STILL,DARK. .~-**££¶##
##£@£†^»,¨ THERE'S NO CONTACT, , ^ ¨,»^†£@£##
##¶#¤*;-^, MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,, ,^-;*¤#¶##
@#@&§†==~¨ . CONFIRMING THAT SOME , ¨~==†§&@#@
£&†.,,,.,, . SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ,,.,,,.†&£
##@£%^^=^, : . ,^=^^%£@##
@@===.,.¨, ~ THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ,¨.,.===@@
#@#¤%=^-,, THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ,,-^=%¤#@#
##£#@%/«~. SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, .~«/%@#£##
#=;:,,¨,¨, TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,¨,¨,,:;=#
###@£$\»^. .^»\$£@###
#%;:~»=.¨, ,¨.=»~:;%#
#@##%%;~-, ,-~;%%##@#
##@&£†^-., ,.-^†£&@##
##@@£*:-,. .,-:*£@@##
@£¤%$:~.¨¨ ¨¨.~:$%¤£@
§§§*--¨.., ,..¨--*§§§
#@@£&*/«~, ,~«/*&£@@#
##@&@*:~:, ,:~:*@&@##
##¶£*§/~,, ,,~/§*£¶##