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