¨~»\*¤@@## ##@@¤*\»~¨
¨~»\****¤¤ ¤¤****\»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~»\*¤ ¤*\»~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨~~\\*¤¤@ @¤¤*\\~~¨¨
¨»\*¤¤@@## ##@@¤¤*\»¨
¨~»\*¤¤@## ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ##@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨¨»**¤@@ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME @@¤**»¨¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\\\***¤ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ¤***\\\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# CIGARETTES. #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨»»*¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤*»»¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤@@## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ##@@¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤@@## WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ##@@¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨~~\*¤¤@ LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS @¤¤*\~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~\\¤@ THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND @¤\\~~¨¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~»*¤¤ SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ¤¤*»~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤¤¤¤ AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ¤¤¤¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\**¤¤¤¤ THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ¤¤¤¤**\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@## OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ##@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨¨~»\¤@@ MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE @@¤\»~¨¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤¤@@ MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING @@¤¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨»\**¤ ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ¤**\»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~\*¤ ¤*\~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\\\*¤¤@ @¤¤*\\\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»»\\**¤¤ KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ¤¤**\\»»~¨
¨~»\**¤¤¤@ BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A @¤¤¤**\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# CALL?" #@@¤¤*\»~¨
~»\*¤¤@@## ##@@¤¤*\»~
¨~»\*¤¤@## AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ##@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨¨»\\¤¤@ THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND @¤¤\\»¨¨¨¨
¨~»»»»»*¤@ AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN @¤*»»»»»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@## PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ##@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»\¤@ REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH @¤\»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤¤@@ FEW TIMES. @@¤¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@@ KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS @@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@## ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ##@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# DETOUR?" #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# #@@¤¤*\»~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~\\¤@ @¤\\~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~»\*¤¤¤¤@ @¤¤¤¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤@@## ##@@¤*\»~¨
¨~»\*¤¤@@# #@@¤¤*\»~¨