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