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