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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. ##£#%†~:,,
,,,:~†%#£# #£#%†~:,,,
,,,,:~†%#£ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £#%†~:,,,,
,,,,,:~†%# #%†~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~†% 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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,,,,,,,,,, ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ,,,,,,,,,,
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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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,,,,,,,,:~ ~:,,,,,,,,
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,,,,,,:~†% %†~:,,,,,,