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