###@§*$:~. .~:$*§@###
@@@§*$:»~. .~»:$*§@@@
#@§§*$:»~. .~»:$*§§@#
##@§*$:»~. .~»:$*§@##
§*$»...... ......»$*§
#@@§*$:»~. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING .~»:$*§@@#
§§§*:~.... 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 ....~:*§@@
##@§*$:»~. AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A .~»:$*§@##
##@§*$:»~. DETOUR?" .~»:$*§@##
@@@§*$:»~. .~»:$*§@@@
#@§**$:»~. .~»:$**§@#
###§*$:»~. .~»:$*§###
##@§*$:»~. .~»:$*§@##
###@§$:»~. .~»:$§@###