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