##§$*;=^.. ..^=;*$§##
#§$*;=^... ...^=;*$§#
§$*;=^.... ....^=;*$§
$*;=^..... .....^=;*$
*;=^...... ......^=;*
$*;=^..... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING .....^=;*$
§$*;=^.... ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ....^=;*$§
#§$*;=^... SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ...^=;*$§#
##§$*;=^.. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ..^=;*$§##
###§$*;=^. JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING .^=;*$§###
##§$*;=^.. CIGARETTES. ..^=;*$§##
#§$*;=^... ...^=;*$§#
§$*;=^.... ############################## ....^=;*$§
$*;=^..... .....^=;*$
*;=^...... 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 ......^=;*
$*;=^..... KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS .....^=;*$
§$*;=^.... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ....^=;*$§
#§$*;=^... SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ...^=;*$§#
##§$*;=^.. AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ..^=;*$§##
###§$*;=^. DETOUR?" .^=;*$§###
##§$*;=^.. ..^=;*$§##
#§$*;=^... ...^=;*$§#
§$*;=^.... ....^=;*$§
$*;=^..... .....^=;*$
*;=^...... ......^=;*