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