#@$=/-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ CIGARETTES. ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ CALL?" ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ FEW TIMES. ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
@$=/-.¨¨¨¨ DETOUR?" ¨¨¨¨.-/=$@
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-/=$@#
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
###@$=/-.¨ ¨.-/=$@###
##@$=/-.¨¨ ¨¨.-/=$@##
#@$=/-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-/=$@#