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