####$^^«~. .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... CIGARETTES. ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. ############################## .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... ############################## ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. CALL?" ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... FEW TIMES. ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ...~«^^$##
###$^^«~.. DETOUR?" ..~«^^$###
####$^^«~. .~«^^$####
###$^^«~.. ..~«^^$###
##$^^«~... ...~«^^$##
#$^^«~.... ....~«^^$#
##$^^«~... ...~«^^$##