,,,:»*=@§£ £§@=*»:,,,
,,:»*=@§£# #£§@=*»:,,
,:»*=@§£## ##£§@=*»:,
,,:»*=@§£# #£§@=*»:,,
,,,:»*=@§£ £§@=*»:,,,
,,,,:»*=@§ 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?" »:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:»* *»:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:»*= =*»:,,,,,,
,,,,,:»*=@ @=*»:,,,,,
,,,,:»*=@§ §@=*»:,,,,
,,,:»*=@§£ £§@=*»:,,,