#@@£%*-,¨. .¨,-*%£@@#
##¤=:~,¨.. ..¨,~:=¤##
##@$=/-~¨¨ ¨¨~-/=$@##
###¶**/~~, ,~~/**¶###
#@£$%^»,.. ..,»^%$£@#
#£@*=»^.,¨ ¨ , . ¨,.^»=*@£#
##¶$^/~-,. , .,-~/^$¶##
###£§^=«^, , , ,^«=^§£###
#@#%^/«:., § 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 ,,:~^%$###
##§%:«.¨,, selkie-induced nursing sleep, ,,¨.«:%§##
##£§§†=,,¨ to keep their heartbeats slow. ¨,,=†§§£##
###¶&%\~:¨ ¨:~\%&¶###
###£%*-.,, ,,.-*%£###
#@%$:~.¨,¨ ¨,¨.~:$%@#
###@%*«~,, ,,~«*%@###
##@£¤%*~~. .~~*%¤£@##
##¶$^:~,,, ,,,~:^$¶##
@@§§^--¨¨, ,¨¨--^§§@@
##@%=^-^., ,.^-^=%@##
####¤%:~,¨ ¨,~:%¤####
#@#£*:=-¨, ,¨-=:*£#@#