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