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