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