#$^^»,,,,, ,,,,,»^^$#
#$^»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»^$#
##@#%$^»,, ,,»^$%#@##
##@#%$^»,, ,,»^$%#@##
#@@#%$^»,, ,,»^$%#@@#
##@#%$^»,, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,,»^$%#@##
#@%^»»,,,, 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?" ,,,,,,,^%@
##@#%$^»,, ,,»^$%#@##
###%%$^»,, ,,»^$%%###
@#%$^^,,,, ,,,,^^$%#@
##@#%$^»,, ,,»^$%#@##
##@#%$^»,, ,,»^$%#@##