###@&%*«,, ,,«*%&@###
##@&%*«,,, ,,,«*%&@##
###@&%*«,, ,,«*%&@###
##@&%*«,,, ,,,«*%&@##
###@&%*«,, ,,«*%&@###
##@&%*«,,, 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?" ,,,«*%&@##
###@&%*«,, ,,«*%&@###
##@&%*«,,, ,,,«*%&@##
###@&%*«,, ,,«*%&@###
##@&%*«,,, ,,,«*%&@##
###@&%*«,, ,,«*%&@###