,.~==&#@## ##@#&==~.,
,,.~==&#@# #@#&==~.,,
,,,.~==&#@ @#&==~.,,,
,,,,.~==&# #&==~.,,,,
,,,,,.~==& &==~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~== 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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