##@§£=:~-¨ ¨-~:=£§@##
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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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£$*~-,,,,¨ she swims toward the iss. ¨,,,,-~*$£
††=,¨,,¨¨, 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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