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