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