@@##@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@##@@
#@##@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@##@#
#@##@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@##@#
####@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@####
####@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@####
#@##@%^~,¨ 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?" ¨¨,,,^%%@#
#@##@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@##@#
####@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@####
#@^^^^,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,^^^^@#
##@#@%^~,¨ ¨,~^%@#@##
#@@^^~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~^^@@#