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