####$*;~-, ,-~;*$####
###$*;;~-, ,-~;;*$###
####$*;~-, ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, ,-~;*$####
##$;-,,,,, ,,,,,-;$##
####$*;~-, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,-~;*$####
##$*;-,,,, DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,,,,-;*$##
####$*;~-, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,-~;*$####
#$;;~~~~-, CIGARETTES. ,-~~~~;;$#
###***;~-, ,-~;***###
####$*;~-, ############################## ,-~;*$####
##*~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~*##
####$*;~-, WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ,-~;*$####
####$*;~-, OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ,-~;*$####
##*~~,,,,, 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?" ,,,,,~~;*#
#$$*;-,,,, ,,,,-;*$$#
#$;-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-;$#
##$;~-,,,, ,,,,-~;$##
####$*;~-, ,-~;*$####
###$$*;~-, ,-~;*$$###