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