§***=,,,,, ,,,,,=***§
@*==~~~,,, ,,,~~~==*@
##@§*§=~,, ,,~=§*§@##
#@@§*§=~,, ,,~=§*§@@#
@@§§*§=~,, ,,~=§*§§@@
##@§*§=~,, 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?" ,,~=§*§@@#
#@@§*§=~,, ,,~=§*§@@#
@§§§*§=~,, ,,~=§*§§§@
@§**=,,,,, ,,,,,=**§@
@@*§==,,,, ,,,,==§*@@
@****§=~,, ,,~=§****@