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^/=.¨.¨¨.. ..¨¨.¨.=/^
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@#¤%%=~.,. ¨ ¨ .,.~=%%¤#@
##¶&§*^»:. * 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,¨ ,.¨,,^~=%%
££$;~,¨¨.¨ , . ¨ ¨.¨¨,~;$££
¶@$§^»,,., says "hmm...." ~ ,.,,»^§$@¶
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@¤$$†=~,¨, she swims toward the iss. ,¨,~=†$$¤@
@@§*=,¨,.. 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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