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