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