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