§%%%;~,,,, ,,,,~;%%%§
##@§$%;»~, ,~»;%$§@##
§$$$$%;»~, ,~»;%$$$$§
##@§$%;»~, ,~»;%$§@##
@@$$%;~,,, ,,,~;%$$@@
##@§$%;»~, 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 ,,~~~»%§§§
##@§$%;»~, AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ,~»;%$§@##
##@§$%;»~, FEW TIMES. ,~»;%$§@##
###@$%;»~, ,~»;%$@###
##@§$%;»~, I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ,~»;%$§@##
##@§$%;»~, KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,~»;%$§@##
##@§$%;»~, ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ,~»;%$§@##
###@§$%;», SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,»;%$§@###
###§$%;»~, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,~»;%$§###
##@§$%;»~, DETOUR?" ,~»;%$§@##
#§%;»»~,,, ,,,~»»;%§#
§%%»»»~,,, ,,,~»»»%%§
@@$%»~,,,, ,,,,~»%$@@
@$%%;~,,,, ,,,,~;%%$@
@@@§$%;»~, ,~»;%$§@@@