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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.         ,,,,,,=%£@
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##@@£%:=-, 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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@@@@£%:=-,      @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@      ,-=:%£@@@@
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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 ,-=:%£@@##
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##@@£%:=-, 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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