###&§§:~~, ,~~:§§&###
##&§§:~~,, ,,~~:§§&##
#&§§:~~,,, ,,,~~:§§&#
&§§:~~,,,, ,,,,~~:§§&
§§:~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~:§§
§:~~,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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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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