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