#@#%*==~..                                          ..~==*%#@#
¶&£^†-,¨,,                                          ,,¨,-†^£&¶
£**;~,.,¨.                                          .¨,.,~;**£
§†/~-,.¨,¨                                          ¨,¨.,-~/†§
§\--¨.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.¨--\§
^-...,.,¨,    ,              ,                    , ,¨,.,...-^
«:.¨.¨¨,¨,          .                               ,¨,¨¨.¨.:«
,,,..,,,.¨ ,                                ¨       ¨.,,,..,,,
,¨....,¨¨¨                %     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.     ¨..¨,,¨...
,¨¨,,¨,..,                                          ,..,¨,,¨¨,
,,..,..¨¨,                                          ,¨¨..,..,,
¨¨......,¨                                          ¨,......¨¨
.¨,,,¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨,,,¨.
,..¨¨,¨,.,                                          ,.,¨,¨¨..,
,¨.¨¨,.¨¨,                                          ,¨¨.,¨¨.¨,
^¨¨¨¨.¨..¨                                          ¨..¨.¨¨¨¨^
~^,.,.¨¨,.                                          .,¨¨.,.,^~
†~,,....¨.                                          .¨....,,~†
$^=,,¨,¨..                                          ..¨,¨,,=^$