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