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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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