###%^†-^¨¨ ¨¨^-†^%###
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%^†-^¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨^-†^%##
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