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