,,,¨.»†^%¶ ¶%^†».¨,,,
¨:«^^*@£@# #@£@*^^«:¨
¨~~††@@### ###@@††~~¨
¨-=\§$£¶## ##¶£$§\=-¨
,,~:§§£### ###£§§:~,,
.~=\*§£@## , ¨ , ##@£§*\=~.
.,«†$§@¶## , ##¶@§$†«,.
.¨,¨.,:/££ . ¨ ££/:,.¨,¨.
¨,==~/%£¤@ § 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,- @#£@$*:-:¨
,,=/†\/¤@# - CONFIRMING THAT SOME . #@¤/\†/=,,
¨¨,,,=§%#§ - SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. §#%§=,,,¨¨
,,.¨¨,-%@& , ¨ &@%-,¨¨.,,
¨--*%§§### . THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ###§§%*--¨
¨,..»†^*#@ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD @#*^†»..,¨
.:~*=§&@@# SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, #@@&§=*~:.
¨¨¨,,..«†¤ TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ¤†«..,,¨¨¨
.-~\$@¤#@# #@#¤@$\~-.
¨.¨¨¨,†¤¤# #¤¤†,¨¨¨.¨
.-~\$##### #####$\~-.
¨.~^\/§*&§ §&*§/\^~.¨
.~~/%%&¶#@ @#¶&%%/~~.
.¨,¨,,»*$& &$*»,,¨,¨.
,.,,..,-†@ @†-,..,,.,
,:«/*$§&&£ £&&§$*/«:,
¨~~/^%£### ###£%^/~~¨
.,~^$$§@## ##@§$$^~,.