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