##@#§§=~-, ,-~=§§#@##
#£$»~:-¨.¨ ¨.¨-:~»$£#
@¶£%*=,..¨ ¨..,=*%£¶@
#@@§£==«^, ,^«==£§@@#
##@@§*;~~¨ ¨~~;*§@@##
@@@@£%=»:. . . . .:»=%£@@@@
###@§^^«~. , .~«^^§@###
###@@$%^-, . , ,-^%$@@###
#¤£†\::... % 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,££%¤ .¨.,..»-$#
§%~=-~..., #.,# #,A DARK GLIMMERING LASERDISC.#,# # ,...~-=~%§
##££$**=~, ,. . . . . ,. , ,~=**$££##
#¤††~=««,, .¨ SHE FEEDS.ON,THE PARTICLES WHEN. . ,,««=~††¤#
@%\»,¨..¨, ,¨ THEY HIT HER STRETCHED SKIN. . : ,¨..¨,»\%@
#&§:,,^.,¨ ,, AND BEHIND.HERE IS.A SHADOW, AND - ¨,.^,,:§
##¶#%†=»^¨ ,IN THAT SHADOW¨IS THE SPACE STATION.: ¨^»=†%#¶##
##@&$*;».¨ . ¨ . . ¨ : ¨.»;*$&@##
###@%^==,. . ¨ . . ~ .,==^%@###
@&$@$%†»,. A MONTH LATER,,THE EARTH IS STILL~DARK. .,»†%$@$&@
##£@§*^«:. THERE'S NO CONTACT, , ~ .:«^*§@£##
@¤§%&^/~,¨ MAYBE SOME SHORTWAVE AND SHIT,. ¨,~/^&%§¤@
###§**†«,, ~ CONFIRMING THAT SOME . ,,«†**§###
#**~=,¨.., , SOCIETY'S STILL THERE. ,..¨,=~**#
###@£%=~^. , , .^~=%£@###
###¤£*†~-, . THE ASTRONAUTS ARE UNWELL - ,-~†*£¤###
#¶#§@%/-:¨ THEY DEGENERATE, IN WEIRD ¨:-/%@§#¶#
##£#&*^=^, SELKIE-INDUCED NURSING SLEEP, ,^=^*£##
£@*££*;«,, TO KEEP THEIR HEARTBEATS SLOW. ,,«;*££*@£
###§*==-.¨ ¨.-==*§###
#%£*,¨,,,. .,,,¨,*£%#
£&=†-,.,.¨ ¨.,.,-†=&£
#@¶&$§:~~. .~~:§$&¶@#
##@#*§*«,. .,«*§*#@##
###§&†=«-, ,-«=†&§###
##@§£§^=.¨ ¨.=^§£§@##
#@@&@§;~:¨ ¨:~;§@&@@#
##@¶@$%†-, ,-†%$@¶@##
#@£;~~«».¨ ¨.»«~~;£@#