##¶¤@^:»,, ,,»:^@¤¶##
#¶¤@^:»,,, ,,,»:^@¤¶#
¶¤@^:»,,,, ,,,,»:^@¤¶
¤@^:»,,,,, ,,,,,»:^@¤
¶¤@^:»,,,, ,,,,»:^@¤¶
#¶¤@^:»,,, 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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