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