#§@§\=~... ...~=\§@§#
§@§\=~.... ....~=\§@§
@§\=~..... .....~=\§@
§@§\=~.... ....~=\§@§
#§@§\=~... ...~=\§@§#
##§@§\=~.. 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?" ....~=\§@§
#§@§\=~... ...~=\§@§#
##§@§\=~.. ..~=\§@§##
###§@§\=~. .~=\§@§###
##§@§\=~.. ..~=\§@§##
#§@§\=~... ...~=\§@§#