@¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@@
¨¨@@@@¨¨¨@ @@@@@¨¨@@@
¨¨¨@@¨¨@¨¨ ¨@@@¨¨¨¨@¨
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨@¨¨@@¨¨¨
¨¨¨@@@@@@@ @¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨
@@¨¨@@@@@¨ 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?" ¨@¨¨@@@@@@
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@@ ¨¨¨¨¨@@@@@
@¨¨@@@@¨¨@ ¨@@@¨¨@@@@
¨¨¨¨@@¨¨¨¨ ¨¨@¨¨¨¨@@@
¨@@¨¨¨¨@@¨ ¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@¨
¨¨¨¨@@¨¨¨¨ @@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨