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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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