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