&%;»~,,,,, ,,,,,~»;%&
##@&§%;»~, ,~»;%§&@##
##@&§%;»~, ,~»;%§&@##
###&§%;»~, ,~»;%§&###
@§%%»,,,,, ,,,,,»%%§@
&§§%»~,,,, 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?" ,~»;%§&@##
@@@&§%;»~, ,~»;%§&@@@
&&&%»,,,,, ,,,,,»%&&&
##@&§%;»~, ,~»;%§&@##
##@&§%;»~, ,~»;%§&@##
##@&§%;»~, ,~»;%§&@##