,,~;%££@## ##@££%;~,,
,,,~;%££@# #@££%;~,,,
,,,,~;%££@ @££%;~,,,,
,,,,,~;%££ ££%;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;%£ £%;~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;% 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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