@#@*^=.,,, ,,,.=^*@#@
#@#@*^=.,, ,,.=^*@#@#
##@#@*^=., ,.=^*@#@##
#@#@*^=.,, ,,.=^*@#@#
@#@*^=.,,, ,,,.=^*@#@
#@*^=.,,,, 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?" ,,,,.=^*@#
@#@*^=.,,, ,,,.=^*@#@
#@#@*^=.,, ,,.=^*@#@#
##@#@*^=., ,.=^*@#@##
#@#@*^=.,, ,,.=^*@#@#
@#@*^=.,,, ,,,.=^*@#@