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