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