.£&.&.£,¤&                                          &.¨¨,,@¨§£
&,£@@#¤@,,                                          ¤,,¨¨#@@,£
@&.¨,¨¨§,¨                                          £.,¨@¨,@¤¨
.@¨¨,.¤§.£                                          §,.#¤.#¨&#
#¤¨,¨&¨£§¨                                          &,&.§¤#§,&
,#¨,£@#,&,    .              .                    . #&&£¨¨.@¤,
¤@¨#¨,¤£§£          ¨                               ,,,#.,£¨&.
,£¤£,§¨,¨# .                                .       ,.##,&£§¤@
@,,&£@,,@,                *     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.     .#&§¤#,¤.,
#¨@£##&¤.,                                          @.¨.,§&@,&
£@.,,.¨&.¨                                          £¨¨,£.¨£@,
.¤¨.,,§§.#                                          #,.@@,@.#§
&@..,§.##.                                          #¨¤¨&£@&¨#
,¤,,£¤¤¨@¨                                          &£@&.,¨#¤¨
&@¨&¨.&§&§                                          ,,,&.,@¨£¨
¨#&@,£¨¨.¤                                          .,§&¨&§#@¤
£..&@#,¨£¨                                          ,@,#@....&
#,¤¨.#.#§,                                          ¤&¤¨#¨,,@¨
&#@,¤§&.#,                                          .,££§,,&¤§