~~..¨,,,,. .,,,,¨..~~
-,.,.,..,. .,..,.,.,-
.,,¨¨.¨¨,. .,¨¨.¨¨,,.
.¨,¨.,¨.,. .,.¨,.¨,¨.
¨.,¨.,¨¨., ,.¨¨,.¨,.¨
,,,,,.¨¨.. ¨ . , ..¨¨.,,,,,
-,,,¨,.,., , ,.,.,¨,,,-
*=~.,.¨..¨ . . ¨..¨.,.~=*
†;«-¨,¨¨,, * 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. ,,,,,¨,¨¨,
,.,,,.,.¨, ,¨.,.,,,.,
.,..¨,,,.. ..,,,¨..,.
,,,¨¨.¨¨.. ..¨¨.¨¨,,,
«^.,,.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.,,.^«
^-,¨¨¨¨,,¨ ¨,,¨¨¨¨,-^
%=~~.¨¨,,, ,,,¨¨.~~=%
@*^~.¨¨¨,¨ ¨,¨¨¨.~^*@
@*^\»:..,, ,,..:»\^*@
@£¤^*~..¨. .¨..~*^¤£@
##¤§%^~-,. .,-~^%§¤##