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