##@@$*=~,, ,,~=*$@@##
@#§§/:†«.. ..«†:/§§#@
###@£$*»., ,.»*$£@###
@@@£%==-,, ,,-==%£@@@
@£*/*~~«-¨ ¨-«~~*/*£@
@£&†-..¨., ¨ . ¨ ,.¨..-†&£@
#†§^~:..,, . ,,..:~^§†#
£@@@$*=«^. ¨ . .^«=*$@@@£
#$=:†*,¨.¨ % TINY BLUE PURPLE ¨.¨,*†:=$#
##@#$^^-:, , SEAL-LIKE (SELKIE?) CREATURE ¨ ,:-^^$#@##
##@§$*\~^, HOVERING IN ORBIT AROUND« ,^~\*$§@##
##¶§*%:~:¨ 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. .¨¨.^»~^@¤
§§$§~,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,~§$§§
&%«¨¨,¨¨., ,.¨¨,¨¨«%&
&†*/\«¨¨,, ,,¨¨«\/*†&
###§$*=«,¨ ¨,«=*$§###
#@@¤&^†»~. .~»†^&¤@@#
##¤*=:^«,¨ ¨,«^:=*¤##
###£@$*«., ,.«*$@£###
¤$~~.¨¨,.. ..,¨¨.~~$¤
#@%\:~~.,¨ ¨,.~~:\%@#
###@§%†/.¨ ¨./†%§@###