@%^:~-,,,, ,,,,-~:^%@
%^:~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~:^%
@%^:~-,,,, ,,,,-~:^%@
#@%^:~-,,, ,,,-~:^%@#
@#@%^:~-,, ,,-~:^%@#@
#@#@%^:~-, 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?" ,,,-~:^%@#
@#@%^:~-,, ,,-~:^%@#@
#@#@%^:~-, ,-~:^%@#@#
@#@%^:~-,, ,,-~:^%@#@
#@%^:~-,,, ,,,-~:^%@#
@%^:~-,,,, ,,,,-~:^%@