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