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