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