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