¤§/~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~/§¤
###@%§/~:, ,:~/§%@###
###@¤%§/:, ,:/§%¤@###
@@%§/:,,,, ,,,,:/§%@@
##@¤%§/~:, ,:~/§%¤@##
##@¤%§/~:, 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?" ,,::~§§%@#
##@¤%§/~:, ,:~/§%¤@##
#¤%/~~~~:, ,:~~~~/%¤#
##@¤%§/~:, ,:~/§%¤@##
##@¤%§/~:, ,:~/§%¤@##
##@¤%§/~:, ,:~/§%¤@##