,,,-«/%%@@ @@%%/«-,,,
,,-«/%%@@@ @@@%%/«-,,
,-«/%%@@@# #@@@%%/«-,
,,-«/%%@@@ @@@%%/«-,,
,,,-«/%%@@ @@%%/«-,,,
,,,,-«/%%@ 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?" «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«/ /«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«/% %/«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«/%% %%/«-,,,,,
,,,,-«/%%@ @%%/«-,,,,
,,,-«/%%@@ @@%%/«-,,,