,,#####,,, #,,,,,,###
,,,###,,## ,,####,,#,
##,,#,,,,# #,,##,,,,,
,,,,,,##,, ,,,,,,###,
#####,,,,, ,####,,#,,
,###,,#### 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?" ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########