\~~,....,, ,,....,~~\
*^=,,..,¨¨ ¨¨,..,,=^*
§*\»-,,... ...,,-»\*§
§%=^-,,¨,, ,,¨,,-^=%§
@§¤%:»-.,. .,.-»:%¤§@
#@#%^=~,,. . . ¨ .,,~=^%#@#
##@£&$;«,, ¨ ,,«;$&£@##
##&**\»^¨. , . .¨^»\**&##
£#%=\-^,., = 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 ^ .,,,,.~/$%
@¤*;«...¨¨ , society's still there. ¨¨...«;*¤@
£&§^*~,¨,, , , ,,¨,~*^§&£
#¶@£*;»~., ^ the astronauts are unwell - ,.~»;*£@¶#
#@@§*†\=.. they degenerate, in weird ..=\†*§@@#
@¶¤£*†-:.. selkie-induced nursing sleep, ..:-†*£¤¶@
£&£^†»,... to keep their heartbeats slow. ...,»†^£&£
&&*\-:,.,, ,,.,:-\*&&
&$*~^.,,¨, ,¨,,.^~*$&
$;-:¨¨..¨, ,¨..¨¨:-;$
†~~..,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,..~~†
«-¨,,¨.... ....¨,,¨-«
^¨¨..¨.,,. .,,.¨..¨¨^
,,¨¨.¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨.¨¨,,
~,..¨..¨,. .,¨..¨..,~
»,,,,¨..¨. .¨..¨,,,,»
;-,¨.,¨,¨. .¨,¨,.¨,-;