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,,,,,,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,: @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:« «:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«: 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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,,,,: @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:« «:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«: 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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