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