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