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