~.¨.,..... .....,.¨.~
^,¨,...,.. ..,...,¨,^
,...,,,,¨¨ ¨¨,,,,...,
-,,¨..,..¨ ¨..,..¨,,-
=,...,,¨,, ,,¨,,...,=
/»-,.¨¨¨.¨ . . ¨ ¨.¨¨¨.,-»/
§=~,.....¨ , ¨.....,~=§
%$\~^,¨.¨. ¨ . .¨.¨,^~\$%
@@%†=~..¨. % tiny blue purple .¨..~=†%@@
@@¤§;»^,,¨ ^ seal-like (selkie?) creature . ¨,,^»;§¤@@
##£*^:--.¨ hovering in orbit around~ ¨.--:^*£##
##@#£$/=-. 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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=^..¨,¨,,. .,,¨,¨..^=