@@=-,..... .....,-=@@
@@@%--,... ...,--%@@@
##%-,,.... ....,,-%##
#@@#@%=-,. .,-=%@#@@#
@@@%=-.... ....-=%@@@
#%=,,..... 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?" .,-=%@#@@#
##@#@%=-,. .,-=%@#@##
@@@#@%=-,. .,-=%@#@@@
@###@%=-,. .,-=%@###@
@@##@%=-,. .,-=%@##@@
##@@=,.... ....,=@@##