.,,¨--«%££ ££%«--¨,,.
¨-»:**#@## ##@#**:»-¨
,~~/$^^¤£# #£¤^^$/~~,
,,-;§$#### ####$§;-,,
,.,¨¨,-†££ ££†-,¨¨,.,
,.¨.,-/:§# ¨ , ¨ #§:/-,.¨.,
,...,,^/$£ ¨ £$/^,,...,
.~«;$&£### . , ###£&$;«~.
,,-†%*$%*£ ^ Tiny Blue Purple £*%$*%†-,,
¨¨.:.:»*£¤ . 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, ###§$§=~-.
..,.,-%§#@ To Keep Their Heartbeats Slow. @#§%-,.,..
..=:%@¤### ###¤@%:=..
,:«;%$§¶## ##¶§$%;«:,
.~»**%§### ###§%**»~.
,.,¨,^~$§# #§$~^,¨,.,
.~=*$%@# #@#&%$*=~.
¨.-\%$£@ @#&£$%\-.¨
.,»*%§£#¶# #¶#£§%*»,.
.,-/†%&¶#@ @#¶&%†/-,.
¨,»^%$&@@# #@@&$%^»,¨
¨..,-^%*§§ §§*%^-,..¨