¨¨,¨¨¨¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨¨¨¨,¨¨
:.,,,,,.¨¨ ¨¨.,,,,,.:
;,.,..¨,,. .,,¨..,.,;
^†-,,¨.,.. ..,.¨,,-†^
$%;:.¨,¨.¨ ¨.¨,¨.:;%$
§&††~¨,¨., ¨ , . ,.¨,¨~††&§
@££$\-¨.., . ,..¨-\$££@
##£%†;^¨¨¨ , ¨ ¨¨¨^;†%£##
#@£§&*^,¨¨ $ 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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