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