#@@§*$\»-. .-»\$*§@@#
@@@§*$\»-. .-»\$*§@@@
#@@§*$\»-. .-»\$*§@@#
##@@§*$\»- -»\$*§@@##
@§§$\»»»-. .-»»»\$§§@
@@@§*$\»-. 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?" .-»\$*§@@#
@@@§*$\»-. .-»\$*§@@@
§$$$$\»-.. ..-»\$$$$§
@@§$\».... ....»\$§@@
@@§*$$\»-. .-»\$$*§@@
#@@§*$\»-. .-»\$*§@@#