#¤$*^~~,,, ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, CIGARETTES. ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, CALL?" ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, FEW TIMES. ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,~~^*$¤###
##¤$*^~~,, DETOUR?" ,,~~^*$¤##
#¤$*^~~,,, ,,,~~^*$¤#
¤$*^~~,,,, ,,,,~~^*$¤
#¤$*^~~,,, ,,,~~^*$¤#
##¤$*^~~,, ,,~~^*$¤##
###¤$*^~~, ,~~^*$¤###