###*§^».,, ,,.»^§*###
####*§^»., ,.»^§*####
###*§^».,, ,,.»^§*###
##*§^».,,, ,,,.»^§*##
#*§^».,,,, ,,,,.»^§*#
##*§^».,,, 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?" ,,,.»^§*##
###*§^».,, ,,.»^§*###
####*§^»., ,.»^§*####
###*§^».,, ,,.»^§*###
##*§^».,,, ,,,.»^§*##
#*§^».,,,, ,,,,.»^§*#