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