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