##@§%$/~,. .,~/$%§@##
§%/~~,.... ....,~~/%§
##@§%$/~,. .,~/$%§@##
§§§%%$/~,. .,~/$%%§§§
§§%///~,,. .,,~///%§§
##@§%$/~,. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING .,~/$%§@##
##@§%$/~,. ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME .,~/$%§@##
##@§%$/~,. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND .,~/$%§@##
##@§%$/~,. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING .,~/$%§@##
@%%//~~,.. 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 .....,/%@#
§%%$///~,. REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH .,~///$%%§
##@§%$/~,. WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW .,~/$%§@##
###§%$/~,. AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A .,~/$%§###
#@§$$~,... FEW TIMES. ...,~$$§@#
§$$~...... ......~$$§
##@§%$/~,. I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME .,~/$%§@##
§$~~...... KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ......~~$§
#@§§%$/~,. ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST .,~/$%§§@#
##@§%$/~,. SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS .,~/$%§@##
##@§%$/~,. AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A .,~/$%§@##
§$~....... DETOUR?" .......~$§
@%$/,,.... ....,,/$%@
##@§%$/~,. .,~/$%§@##
##@§%$/~,. .,~/$%§@##
@%$///,,,. .,,,///$%@
##@§%$/~,. .,~/$%§@##