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