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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...." » .¨,¨...,¨¨
.,,,.¨,¨-- , --¨,¨.,,,.
.¨.,¨,¨,«* % ¨ *«,¨,¨,.¨.
,..¨¨.:~\^ . ~ ^\~:.¨¨..,
..,.¨.»†%% 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. ¨,..¨,....
,.,¨.,¨.¨. .¨.¨,.¨,.,
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