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