###@§†\~,, ,,~\†§@###
###@§†\~,, ,,~\†§@###
###@§†\~,, ,,~\†§@###
###@§†\~,, ,,~\†§@###
###@§†\~,, ,,~\†§@###
@§§††\~,,, 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?" ,,~\†††@@#
@§\\\,,,,, ,,,,,\\\§@
#§\\,,,,,, ,,,,,,\\§#
#@§\~,,,,, ,,,,,~\§@#
#@†~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~†@#
####@†\~,, ,,~\†@####