........~† †~........
.......~†* *†~.......
......~†*@ @*†~......
.....~†*@¤ ¤@*†~.....
....~†*@¤# #¤@*†~....
...~†*@¤## 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. #¤@*†~....
.....~†*@¤ ¤@*†~.....
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.......~†* *†~.......
........~† 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?" ¤@*†~.....
....~†*@¤# #¤@*†~....
...~†*@¤## ##¤@*†~...
..~†*@¤### ###¤@*†~..
...~†*@¤## ##¤@*†~...
....~†*@¤# #¤@*†~....