@#=~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~=#@
#=~~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~~=#
#@@#¤=/~,, ,,~/=¤#@@#
@¤=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=¤@
##==~,,,,, ,,,,,~==##
@@@#¤=/~,, 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?" ,,~/=¤#@@@
#==/,,,,,, ,,,,,,/==#
#@@#¤=/~,, ,,~/=¤#@@#
@@#=~,,,,, ,,,,,~=#@@
@#==/,,,,, ,,,,,/==#@
#@@#¤=/~,, ,,~/=¤#@@#