,.~**%§#@# #@#§%**~.,
,.~**%§§§# #§§§%**~.,
,.~**%§@## ##@§%**~.,
,.~**%§#@# #@#§%**~.,
,.~****%%# #%%****~.,
,.~**%%%## 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?" #@#§%**~.,
,,,~~~**§@ @§**~~~,,,
,,,,.**%%§ §%%**.,,,,
,.~**%§@## ##@§%**~.,
,.~***%%## ##%%***~.,
,.~**%§#@# #@#§%**~.,