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