,,,,,»»%%@                                          @%%»»,,,,,
,,,,,»††%@                                          @%††»,,,,,
,.»†%%@£##                                          ##£@%%†».,
,.»†%%@£##                                          ##£@%%†».,
,,,,,.»%%£                                          £%%».,,,,,
,.»†%%@£##  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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