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