,~«;†§#@##                                          ##@#§†;«~,
,~«;†§#@@#                                          #@@#§†;«~,
,~«;†§#@@@                                          @@@#§†;«~,
,,,~«;†#@@                                          @@#†;«~,,,
,,,««;†§@@                                          @@§†;««,,,
,,,,,«†§@@  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?"                 @@@#§†;«~,
,~«;†§#@@#                                          #@@#§†;«~,
,,~«;†§§#@                                          @#§§†;«~,,
,~«;†#@@##                                          ##@@#†;«~,
,~«;†§@@##                                          ##@@§†;«~,
,~«;;††§#@                                          @#§††;;«~,