#§¤%%%*~-, ,-~*%%%¤§#
#@#§¤%*~-, ,-~*%¤§#@#
#§§§¤%*~-, ,-~*%¤§§§#
##¤¤%*~,,, ,,,~*%¤¤##
###§¤%*~-, ,-~*%¤§###
@@#§¤%*~-, 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?" ,-~~~***¤#
@#¤¤%%*~-, ,-~*%%¤¤#@
#@#§¤%*~-, ,-~*%¤§#@#
#¤**~--,,, ,,,--~**¤#
§%*****~-, ,-~*****%§
###§¤%*~-, ,-~*%¤§###