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