###@*§†-,, ,,-†§*@###
@§†,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,†§@
#@@@*§†-,, ,,-†§*@@@#
###@*§†-,, ,,-†§*@###
@@*§††-,,, ,,,-††§*@@
###@*§†-,, 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?" ,,-†§*@###
###@*§†-,, ,,-†§*@###
###@*§†-,, ,,-†§*@###
#@@§§-,,,, ,,,,-§§@@#
#@§-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-§@#
##@§--,,,, ,,,,--§@##