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