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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...." « ††»,¨,,¨,,
,,,..,¨~»= . =»~¨,..,,,
,.,¨.¨,,^~ % , ~^,,¨.¨,.,
¨,.,,¨¨¨¨. . - .¨¨¨¨,,.,¨
..,,.¨¨¨¨. 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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