#¤%;;;-,,, ,,,-;;;%¤#
¤%%%;;;-:, ,:-;;;%%%¤
#%;-::,,,, ,,,,::-;%#
¤%%-::,,,, ,,,,::-%%¤
###¤%%;-:, ,:-;%%¤###
¤%%;;:,,,, 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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