##@#@£^==. .==^£@#@##
##@&§$^~,, ,,~^$§&@##
###&%/«,., ,.,«/%&###
£§§*^».,,, ,,,.»^*§§£
¤§*/~¨¨,.. ..,¨¨~/*§¤
§**=¨,¨.,. . ¨ , .,.¨,¨=**§
^=«¨¨,...¨ , ¨...,¨¨«=^
/»,¨¨.,,,¨ . . ¨,,,.¨¨,»/
~..,¨¨¨,,¨ % 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 ¨==§&§@@##
##££¤$^»,, Selkie-Induced Nursing Sleep, ,,»^$¤££##
##£*$=«,,¨ To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow. ¨,,«=$*£##
#@%*/~,¨.. ..¨,~/*%@#
¤£†:»¨¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨¨»:†£¤
¤^^»..¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨..»^^¤
†*-..,.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.,..-*†
*-.,,¨.¨¨. .¨¨.¨,,.-*
»,..¨.¨,., ,.,¨.¨..,»
.,¨,...,¨, ,¨,...,¨,.
¨¨.¨.,,,¨. .¨,,,.¨.¨¨
¨.,.,¨¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨¨,.,.¨
-,¨¨,¨¨,., ,.,¨¨,¨¨,-