###§%%;--¨ ¨--;%%§###
###§%%;--¨ ¨--;%%§###
#@#§%%;--¨ ¨--;%%§#@#
§%;;-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-;;%§
§§§%%%;--¨ ¨--;%%%§§§
@§%;--¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨---;;%§
#@#§%%;--¨ ¨--;%%§#@#
§%;-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-;%§
§§§§%%;--¨ ¨--;%%§§§§
#§§%;--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--;%§§#
§%-----¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-----%§