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