##@¤*=;-,, ,,-;=*¤@##
##@¤*=;-,, ,,-;=*¤@##
¤¤*;,,,,,, ,,,,,,;*¤¤
¤¤=-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-=¤¤
¤==;,,,,,, ,,,,,,;==¤
¤***=-,,,, 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?" ,-;=*¤@###
@¤**;--,,, ,,,--;**¤@
#@¤*==;-,, ,,-;==*¤@#
@¤¤=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=¤¤@
##@¤*=;-,, ,,-;=*¤@##
¤*;;-,,,,, ,,,,,-;;*¤