,^~:†$¤£## ##£¤$†:~^,
¨¨~«=$£¤## ##¤£$=«~¨¨
,..-~*$&¤@ @¤&$*~-..,
..:=*†%# ##&%†*=:..
.~«^=¤@@## ##@@¤=^«~.
¨¨,~/†£§@# , , ¨ #@§£†/~,¨¨
,¨.-~/§£@# . #@£§/~-.¨,
,¨,~†*%#£# ¨ . #£#%*†~,¨,
.,-/%*## * 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, #@#%^;~,,.
...,«/=$¤¶ To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow. ¶¤$=/«,...
.,^»=%%£¶# #¶£%%=»^,.
¨:»;§%&@## ##@&%§;»:¨
,¨,-\$%§@# #@§%$\-,¨,
..,:~/$* #&*$/~:,..
¨,,=†§$£@# #@£$§†=,,¨
¨-~†^$@£## ##£@$^†~-¨
¨.~»†%%§## ##§%%†»~.¨
¨,.:~*=&@# #@&=*~:.,¨
..-=*=&§## ##§&=*=-..
¨~~=^§£¶## ##¶£§^=~~¨