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..,,.-»%%¤ - 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,. ##@£%§=..,
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¨.¨,^~%%¤£ says "hmm...." - £¤%%~^,¨.¨
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,.....,«†$ she swims toward the iss. $†«,.....,
,¨¨,.,~†*& matches velocity, phases through the &*†~,.,¨¨,
.¨,.,-†$¤@ wall to a pockocmoc scientist, , @¤$†-,.,¨.
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,,^»**#@## she says, "hello", ##@#**»^,,
.^~§*#£### she says "are you aware that ###£#*§~^.
¨¨,»†§¤¶## there's a burst ##¶¤§†»,¨¨
¨¨.~~%§&@@ » coming?" = @@&§%~~.¨¨
¨.,,.=$@£# - #£@$=.,,.¨
..,.¨,==*& - and the station personnel &*==,¨.,..
¨,.¨¨¨,~*@ are like, no, what, = @*~,¨¨¨.,¨
.,...,,,=% who are you, etcetera, etcetera. %=,,,...,.
¨.¨.¨,-~=$ ^ ^ $=~-,¨.¨.¨
¨..¨,,~†$# she says*"i can protect you #$†~,,¨..¨
,¨.,,»*%£# * in your tin can, ^ † #£%*»,,.¨,
.,¨,~*£# but your planetary friends, £ ##&£*~,¨,.
,,:~*§@### their grid will be burned." $ ###@§*~:,,
¨,=%%§£### * % % % ###£§%%=,¨
,,:«*$## she says "you will be alone @ § ###&$*«:,,
,,.^~=$#@# & for a while". * = #@#$=~^.,,
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.,¨¨,.=*@¤ ¤ # & % ¤ ¤ =£ % * ¤@*=.,¨¨,.
¨¨,¨¨,-=%§ --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.^ ###¤%^«^.,
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..,¨.,«%&£ 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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