-^¨,¨,¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨,¨,¨^-
^,..,.,¨.,                                          ,.¨,.,..,^
.¨¨,¨.,.,,                                          ,,.,.¨,¨¨.
,,.,¨,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,¨,.,,
,,..,,,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,,,..,,
.¨,.¨..¨,.    .              ,                    , .,¨..¨.,¨.
..,,,¨¨.,,          ¨                               ,,.¨¨,,,..
,¨,,,,¨¨,. ,                                .       .,¨¨,,,,¨,
»~.,,..¨..                $     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.     ...,-~\*$§
£§/=-¨¨¨..                                          ..¨¨¨-=/§£
^*«^¨...,,                                          ,,...¨^«*^
^=,,¨¨.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.¨¨,,=^
-,...¨,..¨                                          ¨..,¨...,-
:.,...¨,,¨                                          ¨,,¨...,.:
..¨,¨¨,,..                                          ..,,¨¨,¨..
,.¨,,,,,..                                          ..,,,,,¨.,
....,...,,                                          ,,...,....
.,¨,,¨,.,,                                          ,,.,¨,,¨,.
.¨.¨¨.,,¨.                                          .¨,,.¨¨.¨.