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