##,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,#,,,,
,,,#######                                          ,###,,,##,
##,,#####,                                          ,,#,,#,,,,
,,,,,###,,                                          #,,,,,,##,
####,,#,,,                                          ,,####,,,,
,##,,,,,##  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?"                 ##########
##########                                          ##########
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