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