..,»/%§@@# #@@§%/»,..
.,»/%§@@## ##@@§%/»,.
..,»/%§@@# #@@§%/»,..
...,»/%§@@ @@§%/»,...
....,»/%§@ @§%/»,....
.....,»/%§ 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?" @@§%/»,...
..,»/%§@@# #@@§%/»,..
.,»/%§@@## ##@@§%/»,.
..,»/%§@@# #@@§%/»,..
...,»/%§@@ @@§%/»,...
....,»/%§@ @§%/»,....