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