#£¤^»:^,¨, ,¨,^:»^¤£#
#@£&§†:-:. .:-:†§&£@#
###§§=\«.¨ ¨.«\=§§###
###&$==»,, ,,»==$##
##@¤%^;«^. .^«;^%¤@##
##§%;*==^. ¨ . ¨ .^==*;%§##
£@£^~~,,¨. ¨ .¨,,~~^£@£
¶%;».,¨,.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.,¨,.»;%¶
#¤$;«.¨.,¨ † tiny blue purple ¨,.¨.«;$¤#
##@@¤†;»~¨ - 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 - ,.¨¨.~:=§@
#@#&$§*~-¨ they degenerate, in weird ¨-~*§$@#
@#¶¤$*=-^. selkie-induced nursing sleep, .^-=*$¤¶#@
#@¶&$%/»-, to keep their heartbeats slow. ,-»/%$&¶@#
##§:/=.,.. ..,.=/:§##
##@§%**~,¨ ¨,~**%§@##
#@#@¤%;~~. .~~;%¤@#@#
&§»~,,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,,~»§&
@£%§:-^,,, ,,,^-:§%£@
@¤%%*.~¨,. .,¨~.*%%¤@
##£&&$==~¨ ¨~==$&&£##
##§†^*^.¨, ,¨.^*^†§##
##@&$*^~,¨ ¨,~^*$&@##
###£§$/~-. .-~/$§£###