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,.,£@&¨.§¨ % 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...." ~ §.,,¨§¨@¤,
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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." % .¨¨&@&¨¨¨#
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,@.¤£¨,..¨ 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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