#@¶@@*~,,, ,,,~*@@¶@#
##@¶@@*~,, ,,~*@@¶@##
#@¶@@*~,,, ,,,~*@@¶@#
@¶@@*~,,,, ,,,,~*@@¶@
#@¶@@*~,,, ,,,~*@@¶@#
##@¶@@*~,, 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?" ,,,,~*@@¶@
#@¶@@*~,,, ,,,~*@@¶@#
##@¶@@*~,, ,,~*@@¶@##
#@¶@@*~,,, ,,,~*@@¶@#
@¶@@*~,,,, ,,,,~*@@¶@
#@¶@@*~,,, ,,,~*@@¶@#