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