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