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