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