.....~;*#@ @#*;~.....
......~;*# #*;~......
.......~;* *;~.......
......~;*# #*;~......
.....~;*#@ @#*;~.....
....~;*#@# 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?" #@#*;~....
.....~;*#@ @#*;~.....
......~;*# #*;~......
.......~;* *;~.......
......~;*# #*;~......
.....~;*#@ @#*;~.....