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