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