¨¨¨¨¨^=*#@ @#*=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=/****&# #&****/=^¨
¨^=/*&##@# #@##&*/=^¨
¨¨^^^^=/*# #*/=^^^^¨¨
¨^=/*&#@## ##@#&*/=^¨
¨^=/*&##@# 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?" ##&&&*/=^¨
¨^=/*&##@# #@##&*/=^¨
¨^=/*&##@# #@##&*/=^¨
¨^=/*&##@# #@##&*/=^¨
¨¨¨^/*&&#@ @#&&*/^¨¨¨
¨^=/*&#@## ##@#&*/=^¨