#@@§**;«,. .,«;**§@@#
@****««... ...««****@
@***;««... ...««;***@
§*;,...... ......,;*§
#@@§**;«,. .,«;**§@@#
@@@§**;«,. 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?" .,«;***§§@
#@@§**;«,. .,«;**§@@#
#@@§**;«,. .,«;**§@@#
#@@§**;«,. .,«;**§@@#
@@@§**;«,. .,«;**§@@@
@@§§**;«,. .,«;**§§@@