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