#@%**.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.**%@#
###@%**-.¨ ¨.-**%@###
#@*-..¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨..-*@#
###@%**-.¨ ¨.-**%@###
@@%***.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.***%@@
###@%**-.¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨.*%@
###@%**-.¨ ¨.-**%@###
###@%**-.¨ ¨.-**%@###
####%**-.¨ ¨.-**%####
###@%**-.¨ ¨.-**%@###
###@%**-.¨ ¨.-**%@###