..,,//$#@@                                          @@#$//,,..
.,«/§$#@##                                          ##@#$§/«,.
.,«/§$##@#                                          #@##$§/«,.
.,«/§$###@                                          @###$§/«,.
.,«/§$#@##                                          ##@#$§/«,.
.,«/§$#@##  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ##@#$§/«,.
.....«/§## 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 ##§«,.....
.....,//$# AT  ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #$//,.....
.,«/§$##@@                 DETOUR?"                 @@##$§/«,.
.....«/§#@                                          @#§/«.....
.....«/$$@                                          @$$/«.....
..,,//§§$#                                          #$§§//,,..
.,«/§$#@##                                          ##@#$§/«,.
.,«/§$#@##                                          ##@#$§/«,.