#@#&*%*=^, ,^=*%*&#@#
@#&*%*=^,, ,,^=*%*&#@
#@#&*%*=^, ,^=*%*&#@#
@#&*%*=^,, ,,^=*%*&#@
#@#&*%*=^, ,^=*%*&#@#
@#&*%*=^,, 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?" ,,^=*%*&#@
#@#&*%*=^, ,^=*%*&#@#
@#&*%*=^,, ,,^=*%*&#@
#@#&*%*=^, ,^=*%*&#@#
@#&*%*=^,, ,,^=*%*&#@
#@#&*%*=^, ,^=*%*&#@#