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##¶¤£*;=., ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,.=;*£¤¶##
###¶¤*;=., SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,.=;*¤¶###
#¶¶¤£*;=., DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,.=;*£¤¶¶#
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##¶¤£*;=., 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. ,.=;*£¤¶##
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#¶¤**=..., AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ,...=**¤¶#
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¶£;.,,,,,, 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. ,.=;*£¤¶##
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##¶¤£*;=., MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ,.=;*£¤¶##
¤¤¤***;=., ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ,.=;***¤¤¤
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¶¤££;=,,,, WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ,,,,=;££¤¶
¶¶£*;;=,,, KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ,,,=;;*£¶¶
##¶¤£*;=., BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ,.=;*£¤¶##
##¶¤£*;=., CALL?" ,.=;*£¤¶##
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¤¤¤¤£*;=., 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. ,.=;***£¶#
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#¤¤££*;=., 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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