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