¨¨,»%&&### ###&&%»,¨¨
¨:-§%£#### ####£%§-:¨
¨¨-~^$££@# #@££$^~-¨¨
¨.,^«=£§¶@ @¶§£=«^,.¨
¨.,,--=¤£# #£¤=--,,.¨
,¨..=*$§@@ , ¨ , @@§$*=..¨,
,,~~%&&### . ###&&%~~,,
¨~~%¤&#### ¨ . ####&¤%~~¨
,.,~%§&£## $ 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. ###¤@%~:,.
¨.¨~«*&@£# #£@&*«~¨.¨
,¨,.,-%££@ @££%-,.,¨,
¨,¨~~^*#@# #@#*^~~¨,¨
¨.~=§$#@## ##@#$§=~.¨
¨,»%%¤@### ###@¤%%»,¨
..-«§£¤#@# #@#¤£§«-..
¨.¨,«=£¤## ##¤£=«,¨.¨
,.¨¨,»$§&@ @&§$»,¨¨.,
,.,:»%¤§¶# #¶§¤%»:,.,
..,«^*#@## ##@#*^«,..