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