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#@#§$*^=,¨ ^ tiny blue purple ¨,=^*$§#@#
##¶£¤%*«-¨ : 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,¨ ,.»†^£££@#
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¶#§;~:¨¨¨. she swims toward the iss. .¨¨¨:~;§#¶
#£*\~^.... matches velocity, phases through the ....^~\*£#
§*~=»-,,,, wall to a pockocmoc scientist, . ,,,,-»=~*§
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#^†*%=«~~. she says, "hello", .~~«=%*†^#
#&§=~,¨¨,¨ she says "are you aware that ¨,¨¨,~=§
@^*†%†«~,¨ there's a burst ¨,~«†%†*^@
#@@¤%**~~. ~ coming?" * .~~**%¤@@#
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@¤#%§»^.¨. ~ and the station personnel .¨.^»§%#¤@
@¤*=:,.... are like, no, what, ~ ....,:=*¤@
##£§§=/~,, who are you, etcetera, etcetera. ,,~/=§§£##
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#@@@§%^»~. she says\"i can protect you .~»^%§@@@#
@#@£$*^~:, / in your tin can, / \ ,:~^*$£@#@
##@¤$%=«^, but your planetary friends, ¤ ,^«=%$¤@##
@@£@§==».. their grid will be burned." † ..»==§@£@@
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##¶#%*†~-, she says "you will be alone # & ,-~†*%#¶##
#¤†«=«,^¨, § for a while". ^ * ,¨^,«=«†¤#
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¶&$=-,.,.. :^the selkie phases back out,^^-~@-#.^~~ ..,.,-=$&¶
##£#%§*~,¨ #=§;£\£^@;#spreads her membranes,/&:@*@= ¨,~*§%#£##
@$^*%†:«.. ¤%@*$%¤@£%§%like fluid insect wings,%§%£ ..«:†%*^$@
##£¤***»,¨ #,¨# #,a dark glimmering laserdisc.#,# # ¨,»***¤£##
##@§$%\--, .¨ ¨ , , , .. . ,--\%$§@##
@#§*/~~¨¨¨ .¨ she feeds,on,the particles when, : ¨¨¨~~/*§#@
@*;=«,-,,. ¨, they hit her stretched skin. ¨ , .,,-,«=;*@
¶#@£^,:,¨, ¨, and behind.here is.a shadow, and . ,¨,:,^£@#¶
¤*%\:^,..¨ ¨in that shadow,is the space station.~ ¨..,^:\%*¤
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##@¤%=:=,, a month later,,the earth is still.dark. ,,=:=%¤@##
@@£†:--..¨ there's no contact, . , ¨..--:†£@@
#@@£@†\~., maybe some shortwave and shit,, ,.~\†@£@@#
¤$&*§~~~., , confirming that some . ,.~~~§*&$¤
###§£§;»,, : society's still there. ,,»;§£§###
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&§%%*^^-~, ~ the astronauts are unwell - ,~-^^*%%§&
#&%%-,¨¨,. they degenerate, in weird .,¨¨,-%%
§#$@%$†«~. selkie-induced nursing sleep, .~«†$%@$#§
@@¤@¤^*=~¨ to keep their heartbeats slow. ¨~=*^¤@¤@@
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