@@@*»:.... ....:»*@@@
@@*///:... ...:///*@@
@@@@//»... ...»//@@@@
@@@@@*/»:. .:»/*@@@@@
#@@@@*/»:. .:»/*@@@@#
@@@@@*/»:. 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?" .:»/*****@
#@@@@*/»:. .:»/*@@@@#
@@@@@*/»:. .:»/*@@@@@
#@@@@*/»:. .:»/*@@@@#
@@@@@*/»:. .:»/*@@@@@
@@@@@*/»:. .:»/*@@@@@