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