,,~-/**&## ##&**/-~,,
,,,~-/**&# #&**/-~,,,
,,,,~-/**& &**/-~,,,,
,,,,,~-/** **/-~,,,,,
,,,,,,~-/* */-~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~-/ 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?" /-~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- -~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~- -~,,,,,,,,