.,^~*=£¤## ##¤£=*~^,.
..,~»†§%¤# #¤%§†»~,..
¨¨~»*$§### ###§$*»~¨¨
,,=\*¤£¶## ##¶£¤*\=,,
,¨:~/%@£¶# #¶£@%/~:¨,
,¨¨:~:†£¤# . . , #¤£†:~:¨¨,
..--;=£¤## ¨ ##¤£=;--..
.^»\†$#### . . ####$†\»^.
¨.-==†%#¶# * 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,;£;¤:#= ##@&£§=«,.
.,:»*†$@£# %%¤£$§£&$$&&LIKE FLUID INSECT WINGS,%&%§ #£@$†*»:,.
,¨¨,~^$¤## #.,# #.A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#.# # ##¤$^~,¨¨,
,,.-:^%@@# ¨¨ . , , , ,, , #@@%^:-.,,
.--;*@£¶## .. SHE FEEDS,ON.THE PARTICLES WHEN, : ##¶£@*;--.
,,~~:^£¤## ¨, THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. ¨ , ##¤£^:~~,,
.,.:»^§£¤@ ,, AND BEHIND¨HERE IS,A SHADOW, AND : @¤£§^»:.,.
..,==$¤### .IN THAT SHADOW,IS THE SPACE STATION.- ###¤$==,..
¨,~;%¤#### ¨ ¨ , ¨ . , ####¤%;~,¨
,,,~\§$### . . , ¨ . ###$§\~,,,
,,¨.«†$@£@ A MONTH LATER,,THE EARTH IS STILL,DARK. @£@$†«.¨,,
.,.«:§¤£@# THERE'S NO CONTACT, . : #@£¤§:«.,.
¨-«/%%§@## MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,, ##@§%%/«-¨
,,,=;*$§¶# , CONFIRMING THAT SOME ~ #¶§$*;=,,,
,¨.,-^*$£@ , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. @£$*^-,.¨,
,,~»;*¤£¶# - , #¶£¤*;»~,,
¨,»/%£#@## , THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ##@#£%/»,¨
¨¨,~=%*@£# THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD #£@*%=~,¨¨
,¨,.=/†£&£ SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, £&£†/=.,¨,
..^«^*&# TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##&&*^«^..
,-»†%*#@## ##@#*%†»-,
..~~^*¤£@# #@£¤*^~~..
,¨¨:~\=*&¶ ¶&*=\~:¨¨,
,,:~^^&¤£# #£¤&^^~:,,
,,-^*$§### ###§$*^-,,
¨¨--^*§#@# #@#§*^--¨¨
.¨.,=/%%¤¶ ¶¤%%/=,.¨.
,¨,~*%%### ###%%*~,¨,
¨--:$§#### ####§$:--¨
.,^~\$$§£# #£§$$\~^,.