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