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