@@@£$*†~.,                                          ,.~†*$£@@@
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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 ,,..~~~*£@
£$†~~.,,,, ABOUT IT,  AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ,,,,.~~†$£
##@£$*†~.,                                          ,.~†*$£@##
@@@£$*†~.,      @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@      ,.~†*$£@@@
@£$†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†$£@
#@@£$*†~., WHEN  I  FALL  AWAKE IN  THE  AFTERNOON, ,.~†*$£@@#
££***~..., 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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