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