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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 ¨.-»\**¤@#
##£#£$†«-, wall to a pockocmoc scientist, ¨ ,-«†$£#£##
#£§¤=*«.¨¨ : ¨ ¨¨.«*=¤§£#
£¤*†;-.... 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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