@¤§%;~~,,, ,,,~~;%§¤@
@@¤§%;~~,, ,,~~;%§¤@@
#@@¤§%;~~, ,~~;%§¤@@#
@@¤§%;~~,, ,,~~;%§¤@@
@¤§%;~~,,, ,,,~~;%§¤@
¤§%;~~,,,, 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?" ,,,,,,,,~~
;~~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~~;
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