.,¨,,.¨,.¨ ¨.,¨.,,¨,.
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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...." - ...,¨.,,,»
:,.¨,.,..¨ . ¨..,.,¨.,:
¨,..,¨,.,¨ * , ¨,.,¨,..,¨
.,...,¨¨.. . ~ ..¨¨,...,.
.,¨...,,¨, 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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