#@@@*%^«~, ,~«^%*@@@#
#@@@*%^«~, ,~«^%*@@@#
#@@@*%^«~, ,~«^%*@@@#
@*^«««««~, ,~«««««^*@
@@@%%«,,,, ,,,,«%%@@@
@%%%««««~, 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?" ,~«^%*@@@#
##@@*%^«~, ,~«^%*@@##
#@@@*%^«~, ,~«^%*@@@#
#@@@*%^«~, ,~«^%*@@@#
@@%%««~,,, ,,,~««%%@@
@@*%««~,,, ,,,~««%*@@