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