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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,¨ ,,,....-~;
=~..,¨.,¨, , ¨ . ,¨,.¨,..~=
†~~,.,..¨. says "hmm...." = .¨..,.,~~†
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##&$$/«~¨¨ matches velocity, phases through the ¨¨~«/$$&##
####$^;~,. wall to a pockocmoc scientist, . .,~;^$####
@£#£^/-~,, , ¨ ,,~-/^£#£@
£§§$=«-,,¨ she says, "hello", ¨,,-«=$§§£
#£%;=~,,¨¨ 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". ^ * .,,,^«;^§¤
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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. ¨¨¨¨¨..¨~«
†«:.,¨...¨ ~ . ¨...¨,.:«†
§:~:,,...¨ , the astronauts are unwell - ¨...,,:~:§
$%:=.¨..,¨ they degenerate, in weird ¨,..¨.=:%$
@$==~,.¨¨¨ selkie-induced nursing sleep, ¨¨¨.,~==$@
@@%^/-~.., to keep their heartbeats slow. ,..~-/^%@@
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