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