@@##%†==^, ,^==†%##@@
@@##%†==^, ,^==†%##@@
@##†=^,,,, ,,,,^=†##@
@@##%†==^, ,^==†%##@@
#†======^, ,^======†#
####%†==^, 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?" ,,,^=†%%#@
####%†==^, ,^==†%####
####%†==^, ,^==†%####
#%==,,,,,, ,,,,,,==%#
##%=^^,,,, ,,,,^^=%##
@#%†===,,, ,,,===†%#@