##@§$%^~,. .,~^%$§@##
##@§$%^~,. .,~^%$§@##
#§$$$%^~,. .,~^%$$$§#
##@§$%^~,. .,~^%$§@##
§$%^^,.... ....,^^%$§
§%%%^,.... 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?" ...,~~^%§§
##@§$%^~,. .,~^%$§@##
#§%%~..... .....~%%§#
###§$%^~,. .,~^%$§###
##@§$%^~,. .,~^%$§@##
@$^,,..... .....,,^$@