,~=::***&@ @&***::=~,
,~=:*&@### ###@&*:=~,
,,,,,=:&@# #@&:=,,,,,
,~=:*&@@@@ @@@@&*:=~,
,,,,,~:&&@ @&&:~,,,,,
,~=:*&@### 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?" ###@&*:=~,
,~=::**&&# #&&**::=~,
,,,,~=::&# #&::=~,,,,
,,,,,~::*@ @*::~,,,,,
,~=:*&@### ###@&*:=~,
,~=:*&@### ###@&*:=~,