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