=-^.,..¨.. ..¨..,.^-=
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¨..¨,¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨,¨..¨
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=-¨.,..¨¨. ¨ . , .¨¨..,.¨-=
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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,, ,,.^~^**§#
¤%§:«~..,, ¨ . . ,,..~«:§%¤
§$/«-..,.¨ says "hmm...." ~ ¨.,..-«/$§
%*-^¨,..¨¨ ¨ ¨¨..,¨^-*%
=~.¨,,.,,. = . .,,.,,¨.~=
~:,¨,,,.., ¨ ~ ,..,,,¨,:~
-,,,,.¨..¨ 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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##@¤**=:,¨ ¨,:=**¤@##
##@^=~:¨,¨ ¨,¨:~=^@##
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£^*«,¨,¨,, ,,¨,¨,«*^£
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