###**~-,,, ,,,-~**###
####**~-,, ,,-~**####
#####**~-, ,-~**#####
####**~-,, ,,-~**####
###**~-,,, ,,,-~**###
##**~-,,,, 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?" ,,,,-~**##
#**~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~**#
**~-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-~**
*~-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-~*
~-,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,-~
-,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,-