@@&&@*\--, ,--\*@&&@@
&***---,,, ,,,---***&
#@@&@*\--, ,--\*@&@@#
@@***\-,,, ,,,-\***@@
##@&@*\--, ,--\*@&@##
&**\-,,,,, 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?" ,--\*@&@@@
@&&&@*\--, ,--\*@&&&@
@@@&@*\--, ,--\*@&@@@
##@@@*\--, ,--\*@@@##
#@@&@*\--, ,--\*@&@@#
#@@&@*\--, ,--\*@&@@#