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&¨¨§.,.§@# ^ seal-like (selkie?) creature ¨ ...@&.¨§&¤
,¤.¤#¨,@., hovering in orbit around- #,,#.@.£.,
¨&£¤,#,##. the earth, spinning, chasing. ¨@.#@¤@¤§¨
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#¨,§.,#,&§ , ¨ . £@£#§¨¤,.¤
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&§..§,¨£¨¨ 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. #....##.¨.
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.§££.&¤¨,# 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". % ^ ,..¤,,.,¤¨
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§.¨§#&¨¨., :~the selkie phases back out,,,^~@,&,,~, £@.£@¤£.@¤
¨¤¨&¨.£¨¨. #=£=§=¤;@\£spreads her membranes,=¤/#^&† ..£§,¨.#¤¨
¨¤@£#.¤@., *%£@§£$%%§%*like fluid insect wings,¤@$$ #.#.@,,§¨¤
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.,&,.§¨#@¤ ., , , ¨ . ., , §#¨,¨¨££..
..#§¨£@¤¨¨ ¨, 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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