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