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