#%=-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-=%#
###¤%=/-:, ,:-/=%¤###
###¤%=/-:, ,:-/=%¤###
###¤%=/-:, ,:-/=%¤###
###¤%=/-:, ,:-/=%¤###
###¤%=/-:, 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?" ,:-/=%¤###
####¤=/-:, ,:-/=¤####
¤¤%=//:::, ,::://=%¤¤
###¤%=/-:, ,:-/=%¤###
###¤%=/-:, ,:-/=%¤###
¤=/--,,,,, ,,,,,--/=¤