#@#§^/~^,, ,,^~/^§#@#
##@#§^/~^, ,^~/^§#@##
#@#§^/~^,, ,,^~/^§#@#
@#§^/~^,,, ,,,^~/^§#@
#@#§^/~^,, ,,^~/^§#@#
##@#§^/~^, 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?" ,,,^~/^§#@
#@#§^/~^,, ,,^~/^§#@#
##@#§^/~^, ,^~/^§#@##
#@#§^/~^,, ,,^~/^§#@#
@#§^/~^,,, ,,,^~/^§#@
#@#§^/~^,, ,,^~/^§#@#