&%%\~,,,¨,                                          ,¨,,,~\%%&
#£&%=»,¨.¨                                          ¨.¨,»=%&£#
#@#£†\~:,.                                          .,:~\†£#@#
####£*^~.¨                                          ¨.~^*£####
##&%=;-,,¨                                          ¨,,-;=%&##
@§%%:~^...    ,              .                    ¨ ...^~:%%§@
¤¤%:~-¨,¨,          ,                               ,¨,¨-~:%¤¤
§%*~~¨,.¨¨ ,                                .       ¨¨.,¨~~*%§
=:«~¨.,..¨                %     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.     ,¨.¨¨,¨.,.
¨,.¨¨..,¨,                                          ,¨,..¨¨.,¨
¨¨.,,.¨.¨,                                          ,¨.¨.,,.¨¨
,..,¨...¨.                                          .¨...¨,..,
...,,,..,¨                                          ¨,..,,,...
,¨..,¨,,..                                          ..,,¨,..¨,
»,,.¨..,.,                                          ,.,..¨.,,»
/»^,.,¨..¨                                          ¨..¨,.,^»/
^†«..¨,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,¨..«†^
$%/~~..,,,                                          ,,,..~~/%$
¤§†/~~...,                                          ,...~~/†§¤