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