,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=\ 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?" \=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=\† †\=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=\†£ £†\=^,,,,,
,,,,^=\†£@ @£†\=^,,,,
,,,^=\†£@@ @@£†\=^,,,
,,^=\†£@@# #@@£†\=^,,