#@#%=\~^,, ,,^~\=%#@#
@#%=\~^,,, ,,,^~\=%#@
#%=\~^,,,, ,,,,^~\=%#
%=\~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~\=%
=\~^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^~\=
\~^,,,,,,, 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?" ,^~\=%#@##
#@#%=\~^,, ,,^~\=%#@#
@#%=\~^,,, ,,,^~\=%#@
#%=\~^,,,, ,,,,^~\=%#
%=\~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~\=%
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