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