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