,,,,,,~:§§ §§:~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~:§ §:~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~: :~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~: :~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~:§ 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?" ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~: :~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~:§ §:~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~:§§ §§:~,,,,,,
,,,,,~:§§@ @§§:~,,,,,
,,,,~:§§@# #@§§:~,,,,