,.~\%$¤###                                          ###¤$%\~.,
¨¨-«^*§###                                          ###§*^«-¨¨
,¨.:-†^$£#                                          #£$^†-:.¨,
,.¨,,«/†%&                                          &%†/«,,¨.,
..,¨¨,-\*$                                          $*\-,¨¨,..
,.,¨,,:«;*    ,              ¨                    ¨ *;«:,,¨,.,
.,,,.,.~»:          ¨                               :»~.,.,,,.
¨..,.,.,.~ .                                ¨       ~.,.,.,..¨
..,,,,¨.¨.                §     tiny blue purple    .¨.¨,,,,..
,..¨.,,¨,,     ,  seal-like (selkie?) creature    ¨ ,,¨,,.¨..,
,¨,,.¨.¨,¨  hovering in orbit around~               ¨,¨.¨.,,¨,
,,,,,¨,,,,         the earth, spinning, chasing.    ,,,,¨,,,,,
.,¨.,.....  ^                .                      .....,.¨,.
,¨¨...,¨,¨     looks at the sun with laser eyes,    ¨,¨,...¨¨,
.,,..¨¨,¨.    looks at the earth's power grid,,     .¨,¨¨..,,.
,¨,,.,..-«     .  ,                    ,            «-..,.,,¨,
,¨¨,,,¨-~†      says "hmm...."        ~             †~-¨,,,¨¨,
,..¨,¨^«†§   .                                      §†«^¨,¨..,
.,.,,:~*%$            %            ,                $%*~:,,.,.
..¨.^»†%@@     .                        :           @@%†»^.¨..
,¨.,~†**@¶  she swims toward the iss.               ¶@**†~,.¨,
,.,»^*£§##  matches velocity, phases through the    ##§£*^»,.,
¨,»†=&££##   wall to a pockocmoc scientist,  ,      ##££&=†»,¨
¨.:=:*@@@#    : ,                                   #@@@*:=:.¨
...,«/§*&@                  she says, "hello",      @&*§/«,...
¨,,,-=:*&£      she says "are you aware that        £&*:=-,,,¨
,¨,¨.:~=^$                 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,     $†~:.,.¨¨,
.,¨.,:«†*§       to keep their heartbeats slow.     §*†«:,.¨,.
¨,.,-«\*%#                                          #%*\«-,.,¨
¨.,~~†=§£¶                                          ¶£§=†~~,.¨
,.^»:*$@¶#                                          #¶@$*:»^.,
,~»^^¤§@##                                          ##@§¤^^»~,
¨,-=***¤##                                          ##¤***=-,¨
¨¨.,~/§§@#                                          #@§§/~,.¨¨
.,,¨,»^=£&                                          &£=^»,¨,,.
¨,...,-:§$                                          $§:-,...,¨
¨,¨..,^=†%                                          %†=^,..¨,¨
.....¨¨.»:                                          :».¨¨.....