#@¶#**/~^. .^~/**#¶@#
@¶#**/~^.. ..^~/**#¶@
¶#**/~^... ...^~/**#¶
@¶#**/~^.. ..^~/**#¶@
#@¶#**/~^. .^~/**#¶@#
@¶#**/~^.. 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?" ..^~/**#¶@
#@¶#**/~^. .^~/**#¶@#
@¶#**/~^.. ..^~/**#¶@
¶#**/~^... ...^~/**#¶
@¶#**/~^.. ..^~/**#¶@
#@¶#**/~^. .^~/**#¶@#