,,^»†$%§## ##§%$†»^,,
,^»†$%§### ###§%$†»^,
,,^»†$%§## ##§%$†»^,,
,,,^»†$%§# #§%$†»^,,,
,,,,^»†$%§ §%$†»^,,,,
,,,,,^»†$% ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING %$†»^,,,,,
,,,,,,^»†$ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME $†»^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^»† SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND †»^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^» DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING »^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, CIGARETTES. ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^» THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND »^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^»† ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL †»^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^»†$ 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?" †»^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^» »^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
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