¨-«*$¤§###                                          ###§¤$*«-¨
¨.--=†$¤£@                                          @£¤$†=--.¨
,..:~:*%¤@                                          @¤%*:~:..,
,.¨.,«\^£#                                          #£^\«,.¨.,
¨,.,,~=†$$                                          $$†=~,,.,¨
,¨,,.¨,~;$    ¨              ¨                    , $;~,¨.,,¨,
.¨.¨,.,,~\          ,                               \~,,.,¨.¨.
.¨,,.,.«=* ¨                                ,       *=«.,.,,¨.
¨.¨,¨:»*%&                †     tiny blue purple    &%*»:¨,¨.¨
¨¨¨,,==*$#     -  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.  $/--,,,,.¨
¨¨¨,.¨..-^  there's no contact,  ,          :       ^-..¨.,¨¨¨
¨,.¨¨.~~=†    maybe some shortwave and shit,,       †=~~.¨¨.,¨
¨,,.,^~†*%  ,   confirming that some        .       %*†~^,.,,¨
.,.¨-»/*@#  ^    society's still there.             #@*/»-¨.,.
,,¨-~*%@&¶  ~            ¨                          ¶&@%*~-¨,,
¨.,=/%%§##  ,     the astronauts are unwell -       ##§%%/=,.¨
.:«:*&£#@#        they degenerate, in weird         #@#£&*:«:.
,¨,«/†&@¶#        selkie-induced nursing sleep,     #¶@&†/«,¨,
.¨.,==%££#       to keep their heartbeats slow.     #££%==,.¨.
,¨.¨,-/*@@                                          @@*/-,¨.¨,
.¨¨¨¨.»^^§                                          §^^».¨¨¨¨.
¨.¨.,,,«=^                                          ^=«,,,.¨.¨
¨¨..,.,~»*                                          *»~,.,..¨¨
.¨,,,,.«^%                                          %^«.,,,,¨.
,¨,¨,,=;*%                                          %*;=,,¨,¨,
,¨¨¨~»/*¤¤                                          ¤¤*/»~¨¨¨,
¨.,.~=§@§#                                          #§@§=~.,.¨
.¨--;$£###                                          ###£$;--¨.
¨^-*$%####                                          ####%$*-^¨