.¨,¨,£¨¨¨. @¨,,,,¨.,¨
@&£¤.¨.¤§¤ ,,&¤§&#@
#@§¨¨#,.#¤ @..¤¤§&£&&
&&.,,,,.,& ¨,¨.¤&@&&¤
&.,§@&¤§,. #¤£¨,§@&&£
.¨,¨¤¤£.,¤ , , , ,@,¨¨.§#&¤
.£&,¨&.¨.. ¨ ,..#&,.@§.
,,¨,¨..@¤@ , , ££..,.¨,¨.
@#£##£,.@§ ^ 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. @£¤&£¤§§
#@#@#¤££¤@ ¤§£§¤££¤£#
§&&&@&&§&£ @&¤§@@£&£@
&@§¤£&&£#¤ §¤¤¤§&@&@£
@¤¤§£#¤£££ §£&&@£§&@§
@&&£§§§&&£ ¤§&¤@#££#&
#@#@@#&&¤¤ §@#@#££#¤§
@&@#&£¤§£§ #¤£££¤
¤&&£##@#£# £§¤£§@§#@¤
#¤¤¤#&@£§# #@§£&§##&£
§&@&@§¤@#@ §@&@¤¤¤§¤@