###§$*=~~, ,~~=*$§###
§§$$=~,,,, ,,,,~=$$§§
§$=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=$§
#$==~,,,,, ,,,,,~==$#
###§$*=~~, ,~~=*$§###
###§$*=~~, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,~~=*$§###
####§*=~~, 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 ,,,~==*§§#
###§$*=~~, SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,~~=*$§###
###§$*=~~, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,~~=*$§###
#$****=~~, DETOUR?" ,~~=****$#
###§$*=~~, ,~~=*$§###
####§$*~~, ,~~*$§####
##§§$*=~~, ,~~=*$§§##
§*~~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~~*§
###§$*=~~, ,~~=*$§###