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