#$==~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~==$#
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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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~==
$==~-¨¨¨¨¨ DETOUR?" ¨¨¨¨¨-~==$
#$==~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~==$#
@#$==~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~==$#@
#@#$==~-¨¨ ¨¨-~==$#@#
##@#$==~-¨ ¨-~==$#@##
#@#$==~-¨¨ ¨¨-~==$#@#