,-~†*%&@@@ @@@&%*†~-,
,--~†*%%&@ @&%%*†~--,
,,,~~†*%@@ @@%*†~~,,,
,,,,,,~*&& &&*~,,,,,,
,-~†*%&@@# #@@&%*†~-,
,,,-~~**&@ 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?" #@@&%*†~-,
,-~†††**%@ @%**†††~-,
,-~†*%&@@@ @@@&%*†~-,
,,,,~~†%%& &%%†~~,,,,
,,,-†**&&& &&&**†-,,,
,-~†*%%&&@ @&&%%*†~-,