@###§^^«^. .^«^^§###@
##@#§^^«^. .^«^^§#@##
@@§^^«^^.. ..^^«^^§@@
@#§^«..... .....«^§#@
##@#§^^«^. .^«^^§#@##
###@#^^«^. 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?" .^«^^§§§§#
##@#§^^«^. .^«^^§#@##
####§^^«^. .^«^^§####
##@#§^^«^. .^«^^§#@##
####§^^«^. .^«^^§####
@§^^^«.... ....«^^^§@