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