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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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@§*\»~¨.,¨ ¨,.¨~»\*§@
@&%**»^¨., ,.¨^»**%&@
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