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