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