¨¨,.,,:-^§                                          §^-:,,.,¨¨
¨,.,,.¨-=†                                          †=-¨.,,.,¨
.,,.¨¨.,-«                                          «-,.¨¨.,,.
,,¨¨¨.,¨,^                                          ^,¨,.¨¨¨,,
,¨,,¨.,¨,.                                          .,¨,.¨,,¨,
.¨¨.¨.¨,¨~    ,              ¨                    . ~¨,¨.¨.¨¨.
¨.¨¨,¨.¨~=          ,                               =~¨.¨,¨¨.¨
,¨,¨..,^~; ,                                ¨       ;~^,..¨,¨,
...,¨.,~/$                ^     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.  £$*«-¨.,,.
,,,¨,.^«\§  there's no contact,  ,          ,       §\«^.,¨,,,
¨,,.,.,^~†    maybe some shortwave and shit,^       †~^,.,.,,¨
.¨,¨¨..,:«  ~   confirming that some        ,       «:,..¨¨,¨.
.,.¨¨,.,.~  .    society's still there.             ~.,.,¨¨.,.
¨.¨¨¨.¨¨..  .            ¨                          ..¨¨.¨¨¨.¨
.¨.¨,¨¨.¨:  ,     the astronauts are unwell -       :¨.¨¨,¨.¨.
.¨¨,¨..,,~        they degenerate, in weird         ~,,..¨,¨¨.
¨¨.,,.¨^»;        selkie-induced nursing sleep,     ;»^¨.,,.¨¨
..¨¨,¨:~*^       to keep their heartbeats slow.     ^*~:¨,¨¨..
.¨.¨.^~;^£                                          £^;~^.¨.¨.
.,¨.--\*&&                                          &&*\--.¨,.
,,..-*^*@#                                          #@*^*-..,,
¨.:~:^¤#¶#                                          #¶#¤^:~:.¨
¨^=/*$¤###                                          ###¤$*/=^¨
.¨,~=%$&#@                                          @#&$%=~,¨.
.¨..«:§*£#                                          #£*§:«..¨.
¨¨..,=\=£@                                          @£=\=,..¨¨
.,.¨¨~~/^%                                          %^/~~¨¨.,.
,¨,,,¨,»†=                                          =†»,¨,,,¨,