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