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