@§$$$$*»~, ,~»*$$$$§@
@§$$$»,,,, ,,,,»$$$§@
@@$$*»~,,, ,,,~»*$$@@
§§$$*»,,,, ,,,,»*$$§§
#@@§$$*»~, ,~»*$$§@@#
#@@§$$*»~, 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?" ,~»*$$$§@@
@@$$»~,,,, ,,,,~»$$@@
#@@§$$*»~, ,~»*$$§@@#
@@@§$$*»~, ,~»*$$§@@@
@§$$*~,,,, ,,,,~*$$§@
#@@§$$*»~, ,~»*$$§@@#