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