.,¨.¨¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨¨.¨,.
.¨¨.,..,., ,.,..,.¨¨.
¨..¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨..¨
¨,¨¨¨,.¨,. .,¨.,¨¨¨,¨
¨¨...,,¨¨. .¨¨,,...¨¨
..¨.¨.¨,¨¨ , , , ¨¨,¨.¨.¨..
,¨¨¨¨.,.., ¨ ,..,.¨¨¨¨,
.,¨,¨..... , , .....¨,¨,.
¨,.,¨¨,¨¨- † 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 $§^~^..,¨¨
.,..^«;%£§ selkie-induced nursing sleep, §£%;«^..,.
¨.¨,»*§@&¶ to keep their heartbeats slow. ¶&@§*»,¨.¨
..,-\=$§@# #@§$=\-,..
.^«\=§&£## ##£&§=\«^.
¨¨,«^†%§## ##§%†^«,¨¨
..,,«†§&§# #§&§†«,,..
.¨,,:~†%$§ §$%†~:,,¨.
¨..¨¨~«:=¤ ¤=:«~¨¨..¨
¨¨.¨,¨,«** **«,¨,¨.¨¨
..¨..,¨,~† †~,¨,..¨..
...¨.,,¨-~ ~-¨,,.¨...
..¨¨.¨¨.., ,..¨¨.¨¨..