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