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