.¤.¨,,¤..@ ¨..¤,,.,,,
,¨¨&£,,,,, .&,.,&§££¤
,#,¨,¨§£§& ..¨§,.£§¤,
¨..£@.¨@§, @£¨,,..¤,,
£§¨..,¨,,¨ &.¨@§@..,£
#,,¤&@&£@¨ , . . .,¨.£,¨#,.
..¨¨§@¤#¨¨ ¨ §££...¨,¨¨
&&£¨,#£¨,, ¨ ¨ @@¨¨£&§§£@
&¤,¨,.,,&& * 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. ¨¨¨##¨.&
.¨,¨,&&,,, £§¨..¨¨.&,
¤£§£.¨,.&& ¨¨.§&£§,¨,
.&@.,@£¨.£ #¤,¨£§,,@¨
.¨,¨..¨¨¨. ¨¨¨,¨.,,,,
&¤§&@@#¤££ £@§¤¤#@£@&
@£@§@&§¤£@ ¤£##¤£§§&¤
&£§#@£¤&@@ §§§§¤&§@¤#
##§§££§¤ &¤#&¤§¤§#@
#££§£#¤¤¤£ &£¤§£&¤¤#£
&¤@¤¤&£#&¤ §§&&§#@§&£