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