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