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