\~........ ........~\
~......... .........~
.......... ..........
~......... .........~
\~........ ........~\
^\~....... 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?" ...~\^¤§@#
@§¤^\~.... ....~\^¤§@
§¤^\~..... .....~\^¤§
¤^\~...... ......~\^¤
^\~....... .......~\^
\~........ ........~\