,,,~~=§$&# #&$§=~~,,,
,,~~=§$&## ##&$§=~~,,
,~~=§$&### ###&$§=~~,
,,~~=§$&## ##&$§=~~,,
,,,~~=§$&# #&$§=~~,,,
,,,,~~=§$& ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING &$§=~~,,,,
,,,,,~~=§$ 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?" §=~~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~~= =~~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~~ ~~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,