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##§&%†«~¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨~«†%&§#
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###§&%†«~¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨~«†%&§###
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#§&%†«~¨¨¨ 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. ¨~«†%&§###
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#§&%†«~¨¨¨ 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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#§&%†«~¨¨¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨¨¨~«†%&§#
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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?" ¨¨~«†%&§##
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