,,,,=*$$@@ @@$$*=,,,,
,,,,,=$$@@ @@$$=,,,,,
,,==*$@@## ##@@$*==,,
,,===**@@@ @@@**===,,
,,==*$@@## ##@@$*==,,
,,=====$@@ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING @@$=====,,
,,,===*$@@ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME @@$*===,,,
,,==*$@@@@ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND @@@@$*==,,
,,,,,=*$$@ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING @$$*=,,,,,
,,==*$@@@# JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING #@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@## CIGARETTES. ##@@$*==,,
,,==*@@@## ##@@@*==,,
,,==*$@@## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ##@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@## ##@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@@ WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT @@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@# THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE #@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@# FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. #@@@$*==,,
,,,,=**$$@ TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, @$$**=,,,,
,,==*$@@@@ MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR @@@@$*==,,
,,,,,,=*$@ LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS @$*=,,,,,,
,,====***@ 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 @@*=,,,,,,
,,==*$@@@# WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW #@@@$*==,,
,,,,,==*$@ AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A @$*==,,,,,
,,==*$$$$@ FEW TIMES. @$$$$*==,,
,,==*$@@## ##@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@# I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME #@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@## KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ##@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@## ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ##@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@@ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS @@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@# AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@# DETOUR?" #@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@# #@@@$*==,,
,,===*$$@@ @@$$*===,,
,,==*$@@@@ @@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@@ @@@@$*==,,
,,==*$@@@# #@@@$*==,,