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