####¤*;~,, ,,~;*¤####
###¤*;~,,, ,,,~;*¤###
##¤*;~,,,, ,,,,~;*¤##
#¤*;~,,,,, ,,,,,~;*¤#
##¤*;~,,,, ,,,,~;*¤##
###¤*;~,,, 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?" ,,,~;*¤###
####¤*;~,, ,,~;*¤####
###¤*;~,,, ,,,~;*¤###
##¤*;~,,,, ,,,,~;*¤##
#¤*;~,,,,, ,,,,,~;*¤#
##¤*;~,,,, ,,,,~;*¤##