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