¶#**~~~,,, ,,,~~~**#¶
¶¶***~~~-, ,-~~~***¶¶
¶#**/~,,,, ,,,,~/**#¶
##¶#**/~-, ,-~/**#¶##
¶¶#*/-,,,, ,,,,-/*#¶¶
¶*////-,,, 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?" ,,,,,-~*##
##¶#**/~-, ,-~/**#¶##
¶##***/~-, ,-~/***##¶
##¶#**/~-, ,-~/**#¶##
##¶#**/~-, ,-~/**#¶##
¶****//~-, ,-~//****¶