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