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