##§¤^;;~,, ,,~;;^¤§##
###§¤^;~,, ,,~;^¤§###
#§^;;~,,,, ,,,,~;;^§#
###§¤^;~,, ,,~;^¤§###
##§§¤^;~,, ,,~;^¤§§##
§^~,,,,,,, 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?" ,,~;^¤§###
#¤;~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~;¤#
##§§¤^;~,, ,,~;^¤§§##
###§¤^;~,, ,,~;^¤§###
####§^;~,, ,,~;^§####
###§¤^;~,, ,,~;^¤§###