,,~~:%%#@# #@#%%:~~,,
,~~:%%#@## ##@#%%:~~,
,,~~:%%#@# #@#%%:~~,,
,,,~~:%%#@ @#%%:~~,,,
,,,,~~:%%# #%%:~~,,,,
,,,,,~~:%% 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, ############################## ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, ############################## ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,, 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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