,,,~;§%§@#                                          #@§%§;~,,,
,,,,~;§%§@                                          @§%§;~,,,,
,,,,,~;§%§                                          §%§;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;§%                                          %§;~,,,,,,
,,,,,~;§%§                                          §%§;~,,,,,
,,,,~;§%§@  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?"                 ##@§%§;~,,
,,,~;§%§@#                                          #@§%§;~,,,
,,,,~;§%§@                                          @§%§;~,,,,
,,,,,~;§%§                                          §%§;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;§%                                          %§;~,,,,,,
,,,,,~;§%§                                          §%§;~,,,,,