#¤£=*-.¨¨, ,¨¨.-*=£¤#
#@§$*^~,,, ,,,~^*$§@#
###§@§/~:, ,:~/§@§###
#@¤%$\=~., ,.~=\$%¤@#
#£§§:«.¨,. .,¨.«:§§£#
§£=*»...., . , ¨ ,....»*=£§
&^†=~,..¨. . .¨..,~=†^&
%†»^,.,¨,, , . ,,¨,.,^»†%
^»-.¨.¨,,, % tiny blue purple ,,,¨.¨.-»^
=,.,.¨,¨,, ^ seal-like (selkie?) creature . ,,¨,¨.,.,=
-..¨,.,.,. hovering in orbit around~ .,.,.,¨..-
.,¨¨¨,,¨,. the earth, spinning, chasing. .,¨,,¨¨¨,.
,.,,,.,¨¨¨ . , ¨¨¨,.,,,.,
¨.¨.,¨.¨¨¨ looks at the sun with laser eyes, ¨¨¨.¨,.¨.¨
-¨.,.,,.¨, looks at the earth's power grid,¨ ,¨.,,.,.¨-
~~..¨¨..., , ¨ ¨ ,...¨¨..~~
\«.¨,¨¨,,¨ says "hmm...." ~ ¨,,¨¨,¨.«\
*^~~¨,,¨,¨ , ¨,¨,,¨~~^*
*$=«:,,,,¨ % , ¨,,,,:«=$*
#***«^.,¨¨ . , ¨¨,.^«***#
£¤£§\~:,,. she swims toward the iss. .,,:~\§£¤£
##¤¤§*-,.¨ matches velocity, phases through the ¨.,-*§¤¤##
##£#¤$^=,. 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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%^«,¨¨¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨¨¨,«^%
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-,.....,¨. .¨,.....,-
-,,¨¨.,¨,. .,¨,.¨¨,,-
,,¨¨.¨..¨¨ ¨¨..¨.¨¨,,
,¨¨,,..¨,, ,,¨..,,¨¨,