#@§&*^»,.. ..,»^*&§@#
@§&*^»,... ...,»^*&§@
§&*^»,.... ....,»^*&§
@§&*^»,... ...,»^*&§@
#@§&*^»,.. ..,»^*&§@#
##@§&*^»,. 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?" .,»^*&§@##
#@§&*^»,.. ..,»^*&§@#
@§&*^»,... ...,»^*&§@
§&*^»,.... ....,»^*&§
@§&*^»,... ...,»^*&§@
#@§&*^»,.. ..,»^*&§@#