/~~.,.,.¨, ,¨.,.,.~~/
=:¨,¨,..., ,...,¨,¨:=
.¨..,..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..,..¨.
~:..,.,.¨. .¨.,.,..:~
;~..¨..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..¨..~;
=/-^,.¨.,, ¨ . ¨ ,,.¨.,^-/=
&†;-:,¨.,, ¨ ,,.¨,:-;†&
£%†^~..¨.¨ . , ¨.¨..~^†%£
£¤$%/~.¨,. $ 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, ¨...~=†*¤¤
$**-:¨¨.,. to keep their heartbeats slow. .,.¨¨:-**$
*:-:¨.,..¨ ¨..,.¨:-:*
^«,,,,..¨, ,¨..,,,,«^
=:,,¨.¨.,¨ ¨,.¨.¨,,:=
~..,.,¨,.¨ ¨.,¨,.,..~
-~¨.¨¨¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨¨¨.¨~-
=~.¨.¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨.¨.~=
*\~^,,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,,^~\*
¤§;~-..,., ,.,..-~;§¤
¤$%†-,,,,, ,,,,,-†%$¤
¶#§$^-,.,, ,,.,-^$§#¶