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#@£§*»^,,, 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. ,,,,^»*§£@
#@£§*»^,,, ,,,^»*§£@#
##@£§*»^,, @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ,,^»*§£@##
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##@£§*»^,, 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. ,,^»*§£@##
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##@£§*»^,, @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ,,^»*§£@##
#@£§*»^,,, ,,,^»*§£@#
@£§*»^,,,, 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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