...--$$$@#                                          #@$$$--...
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.,---*$$##                                          ##$$*---,.
.,-*$$#@##                                          ##@#$$*-,.
......-$##                                          ##$-......
.,-*$$#@##  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ##@#$$*-,.
.,-$$#@### ALONG  THE RUSTY  CARGO  CARS  LIKE SOME ###@#$$-,.
.,-*$$#@@# SPECIES OF  FERROPHAGE  INSECT.  UP  AND #@@#$$*-,.
.,,,**$$$# DOWN  THE TRAIN,  CHECKING BOLTS, OILING #$$$**,,,.
.,-*$$####     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     ####$$*-,.
.,-*$#@###               CIGARETTES.                ###@#$*-,.
.,-*$$#@##                                          ##@#$$*-,.
....,,-$$#      @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@      #$$-,,....
......,-$#                                          #$-,......
....--*$$# WE WERE GOING SOUTH  THROUGH  FINLAND AT #$$*--....
.,-*$$#@## THE   TIME,   SLEEPING   CLOSE  TO   THE ##@#$$*-,.
.,-*$$#@##  FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS.  ##@#$$*-,.
.,-**$$#@@  TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW,   @@#$$**-,.
.,-*$$@### MOST  OF   WHICH   WERE   MECHANICS,  OR ###@$$*-,.
.,-*$$@### LOADERS,  WITH  LARGE  AND  HAIRY  HANDS ###@$$*-,.
.,-*$$#@## THAT COULD SWALLOW  MY ENTIRE  BODY. AND ##@#$$*-,.
.,-*$$$$## ME  FEATURING AS THE  CUTE  AND  ASOCIAL ##$$$$*-,.
.,-*$$#@## 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 ##@#$$*-,.
.......-$#                 DETOUR?"                 #$-.......
.,-*$$#@##                                          ##@#$$*-,.
.,-*$$$$##                                          ##$$$$*-,.
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