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