,,,,,./£@@                                          @@£/.,,,,,
,,....==^§                                          §^==....,,
,.=/^£§@##                                          ##@§£^/=.,
,.=/^£§@##                                          ##@§£^/=.,
,.=/^£§@##                                          ##@§£^/=.,
,.=/^£§@@#  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?"                 ##@§£^/=.,
,,,,,,=^£§                                          §£^=,,,,,,
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,,,..=^§@#                                          #@§^=..,,,