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