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