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