#####^*~., ,.~*^#####
####^*~.,, ,,.~*^####
#####^*~., ,.~*^#####
####^*~.,, ,,.~*^####
#####^*~., ,.~*^#####
####^*~.,, 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?" ,,.~*^####
#####^*~., ,.~*^#####
####^*~.,, ,,.~*^####
#####^*~., ,.~*^#####
####^*~.,, ,,.~*^####
#####^*~., ,.~*^#####