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