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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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£%*:«^¨,.. † . ..,¨^«:*%£
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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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