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