-¨,.¨.¨.., ,..¨.¨.,¨-
..,¨,...,, ,,...,¨,..
.,¨¨¨,¨¨.. ..¨¨,¨¨¨,.
,.,..¨.¨,, ,,¨.¨..,.,
-,,,,..,,. .,,..,,,,-
=-.,¨,¨¨., . . , ,.¨¨,¨,.-=
/=,,¨¨,¨¨. . .¨¨,¨¨,,=/
^*»,.¨,.¨. . ¨ .¨.,¨.,»*^
%*^=-.,¨,, † 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. .,¨,¨..¨¨,
¨,,,,,¨,¨¨ ¨¨,¨,,,,,¨
.,¨.,,¨,¨. .¨,¨,,.¨,.
=^¨.¨¨¨.¨, ,¨.¨¨¨.¨^=
*«-,.,.,¨. .¨,.,.,-«*
*/=,...,.¨ ¨.,...,=/*
¤%=-,¨¨.., ,..¨¨,-=%¤
#&†;»^..¨¨ ¨¨..^»;†&#
#@&*†-^,,. .,,^-†*&@#
###%*\~^,, ,,^~\*%###
###§%§==., ,.==§%§###