¨-»\†%&£##                                          ##£&%†\»-¨
¨.,=:§$&##                                          ##&$§:=,.¨
.,.^=:*%&#                                          #&%*:=^.,.
¨.,,~==†§&                                          &§†==~,,.¨
¨¨,-«\=££@                                          @££=\«-,¨¨
.,:~\§$¤@#    ,              ¨                    ¨ #@¤$§\~:,.
.,-†^*&£##          ¨                               ##£&*^†-,.
,,-»:^£§¶# .                                ,       #¶§£^:»-,,
,¨,.»:%%&#                ^     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.     @&%=^».¨..
,.¨,--=^£#                                          #£^=--,¨.,
,¨.^«/^&##                                          ##&^/«^.¨,
,.~-^†£¤@#                                          #@¤£†^-~.,
,~«†^£&¶##                                          ##¶&£^†«~,
¨¨:~/*@&##                                          ##&@*/~:¨¨
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¨¨.===*#@#                                          #@#*===.¨¨
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