###&$*^-.¨ ¨.-^*$##
###¶§%\«:. .:«\%§¶###
¤†«.,¨.¨,¨ ¨,¨.¨,.«†¤
#@*:.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.:*@#
#@@§£$\~,¨ ¨,~\$£§@@#
###§§*;«~. . . , .~«;*§§###
@&*†:-::,. ¨ .,::-:†*&@
#¤*§-~-,¨, ¨ , ,¨,-~-§*¤#
##@@£*=-,. % Tiny Blue Purple .,-=*£@@##
&§-^,..,¨¨ , Seal-Like (Selkie?) Creature , ¨¨,..,^-§&
@#%/:\«-:, Hovering In Orbit Around» ,:-«\:/%#@
####§%\=,. The Earth, Spinning, Chasing. .,=\%§####
###@#*%\-¨ . , ¨-\%*#@###
#¤*^;»^.¨, Looks At The Sun With Laser Eyes, ,¨.^»;^*¤#
#@#$%%;~-, 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. .,..¨=†£¶#
##@&§%^»-. .-»^%§&@##
@¤§§~,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,~§§¤@
#&§¤£§†-~¨ ¨~-†§£¤§
#£%;\~~,¨. .¨,~~\;%£#
@£\-.,.,.. ..,.,.-\£@
#@¶@£=:~.. ..~:=£@¶@#
####£$\~^, ,^~\$£####
##@§$§^«:, ,:«^§$§@##
§££#$=:~,, ,,~:=$#££§
@£#*-.~¨.¨ ¨.¨~.-*#£@