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