,-«:†§#### ####§†:«-,
.^~$*¤@@## ##@@¤*$~^.
,.~†%$¤£## ##£¤$%†~.,
.:»;%$#£## ##£#$%;»:.
,^«=%@&@@# #@@&@%=«^,
~=\^¤££### ¨ ¨ ¨ ###££¤^\=~
,,»^§$££@£ ¨ £@££$§^»,,
,~-*%£¤@## ¨ , ##@¤£%*-~,
,¨.«=**%%§ % 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 ##@£#$^/~¨
,.~,»«/^## SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ##^/«»,~.,
¨¨..:=%¤## TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ##¤%=:..¨¨
,^=†§§¤@@# #@@¤§§†=^,
,,¨.¨.=$£@ @£$=.¨.¨,,
..,~/†*@¤# #¤@*†/~,..
¨:~=†#@### ###@#†=~:¨
.,»*//^@## ##@^//*»,.
.,»*%£#@@# #@@#£%*»,.
,,^~-^*§¤£ £¤§*^-~^,,
,.,.,;%¤## ##¤%;,.,.,
,,.,:~§£#@ @#£§~:,.,,
¨~=†:;&%@# #@%&;:†=~¨