~.,,,.¨¨¨. .¨¨¨.,,,.~
,¨¨...,¨,. .,¨,...¨¨,
¨,,¨,,,,,¨ ¨,,,,,¨,,¨
.¨,¨¨.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.¨¨,¨.
,,,¨.¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨.¨,,,
..¨..¨¨¨,¨ , , , ¨,¨¨¨..¨..
,,..¨.¨..¨ ¨ ¨..¨.¨..,,
^..¨¨,.¨,¨ . ¨ ¨,¨.,¨¨..^
-^¨,..,,¨¨ % 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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,¨.¨,,¨,.. ..,¨,,¨.¨,
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