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