@¤†*=-,,,, ,,,,-=*†¤@
#@¤†*=-,,, ,,,-=*†¤@#
##@¤†*=-,, ,,-=*†¤@##
###@¤†*=-, ,-=*†¤@###
##@¤†*=-,, ,,-=*†¤@##
#@¤†*=-,,, 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?" ,-=*†¤@###
##@¤†*=-,, ,,-=*†¤@##
#@¤†*=-,,, ,,,-=*†¤@#
@¤†*=-,,,, ,,,,-=*†¤@
¤†*=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=*†¤
@¤†*=-,,,, ,,,,-=*†¤@