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