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