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