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###§£§/~,, 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. ,,~/§£§###
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#§§££§/~,, ############################## ,,~/§££§§#
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§§£/,,,,,, 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. ,,,,~/§§§#
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####§§/~,, ############################## ,,~/§§####
###§£§/~,, ,,~/§£§###
#§§/,,,,,, 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?" ,,~/§£§###
###§£§/~,, ,,~/§£§###
###§£§/~,, ,,~/§£§###
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