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