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@#§£§:~,,, 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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#@#§£§:~,, ############################## ,,~:§£§#@#
@#§£§:~,,, ,,,~:§£§#@
#§£§:~,,,, 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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