##@#%*/~,, ,,~/*%#@##
@#*/,,,,,, ,,,,,,/*#@
@@##%*/~,, ,,~/*%##@@
#@##%*/~,, ,,~/*%##@#
@#%***/~,, ,,~/***%#@
#%/~,,,,,, 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?" ,,,,,,~*##
##*~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~*##
@#*/,,,,,, ,,,,,,/*#@
#@##%*/~,, ,,~/*%##@#
#*/~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~/*#
##*/~,,,,, ,,,,,~/*##