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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." § ##£@@==«,.
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.~»†*£## 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.#¨# # ##¤$^/:¨,.
¨,«^*%£##@ .¨ . . , , ,¨ , @##£%*^«,¨
,:-†**#### ¨. she feeds,on¨the particles when. - ####**†-:,
.,»/%£¤¶## ¨, they hit her stretched skin. ¨ , ##¶¤£%/»,.
,-~;†%&@## .¨ and behind.here is.a shadow, and : ##@&%†;~-,
,.~;%%@£## .in that shadow¨is the space station., ##£@%%;~.,
.-»*†¤§£@@ , . ¨ , ¨ . @@£§¤†*»-.
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,,¨¨¨¨,«*¤ a month later,,the earth is still-dark. ¤*«,¨¨¨¨,,
..=††£¤£@# there's no contact, ¨ - #@£¤£††=..
,^=^*§¤@## maybe some shortwave and shit,. ##@¤§*^=^,
¨¨.,,=:*$& - 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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