#§%%%/~~^. .^~~/%%%§#
##*%%~.... ....~%%*##
###§*%/~^. .^~/%*§###
§*%///~... ...~///%*§
###§*%/~^. .^~/%*§###
###§*%/~^. 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?" .^~/%*§###
#*%/~..... .....~/%*#
###§*%/~^. .^~/%*§###
§%/^...... ......^/%§
###§*%/~^. .^~/%*§###
###§*%/~^. .^~/%*§###