.,..-~;%£&                                          &£%;~-..,.
¨.,.,,=/%&                                          &%/=,,.,.¨
,,¨..¨--†%                                          %†--¨..¨,,
¨¨¨....^-^                                          ^-^....¨¨¨
.,..¨..«^*                                          *^«..¨..,.
.,¨,,,~^§£    ¨              .                    , £§^~,,,¨,.
,,...=:§%@          ,                               @%§:=...,,
,¨¨-»/^£## .                                ,       ##£^/»-¨¨,
¨¨-«=%££##                $     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        ~       ##§$†:«-¨,
,,-/%%§###  ,    society's still there.             ###§%%/-,,
,,,»;=%£@#  ,            .                          #@£%=;»,,,
,¨¨,»=§%§#  -     the astronauts are unwell -       #§%§=»,¨¨,
.,.,.»\*¤£        they degenerate, in weird         £¤*\».,.,.
.¨,.,,=/^@        selkie-induced nursing sleep,     @^/=,,.,¨.
¨¨,...,»:†       to keep their heartbeats slow.     †:»,...,¨¨
,,,¨.¨¨:»=                                          =»:¨¨.¨,,,
.¨.,.¨.«;=                                          =;«.¨.,.¨.
¨¨.,¨~«†§%                                          %§†«~¨,.¨¨
¨,,.,»/†$@                                          @$†/»,.,,¨
,¨,^«\=§£#                                          #£§=\«^,¨,
,,:~*%§&@#                                          #@&§%*~:,,
.^~=$¤£@##                                          ##@£¤$=~^.
.¨,~^%$¤##                                          ##¤$%^~,¨.
¨¨..=†$$@#                                          #@$$†=..¨¨
.¨,.:~^§$&                                          &$§^~:.,¨.