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