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