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