,,,,,:«^§@ @§^«:,,,,,
,,,,:«^§@# #@§^«:,,,,
,,,:«^§@#@ @#@§^«:,,,
,,:«^§@#@@ @@#@§^«:,,
,:«^§@#@@# #@@#@§^«:,
,,:«^§@#@@ 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?" §^«:,,,,,,
,,,,,:«^§@ @§^«:,,,,,
,,,,:«^§@# #@§^«:,,,,
,,,:«^§@#@ @#@§^«:,,,
,,:«^§@#@@ @@#@§^«:,,
,:«^§@#@@# #@@#@§^«:,