##@§$§;-,, ,,-;§$§@##
@@§$;-,,,, ,,,,-;$§@@
#§§-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-§§#
#§$$§§;-,, ,,-;§§$$§#
#@@§$§;-,, ,,-;§$§@@#
##@§$§;-,, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,,-;§$§@##
##@§$§;-,, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,,-;§$§@##
@§§§;;,,,, 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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