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