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§¤†-,,,,,, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,,,,,,-†¤§
£§^~~~---, SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,---~~~^§£
#§^†~,,,,, DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,,,,,~†^§#
§^†~-,,,,, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,,,,,-~†^§
##£§¤^†~-, CIGARETTES. ,-~†^¤§£##
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£§^†-,,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,~^§
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###£§^†~-, 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. ,,,,--~†^§
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##£§¤^†~-, I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ,-~†^¤§£##
##£§¤^†~-, MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ,-~†^¤§£##
##£§¤^†~-, ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ,-~†^¤§£##
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##£§¤^†~-, 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. ,-~†^¤§£##
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#£§^†~-,,, 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?" ,,,-††¤§£#
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