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