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