.-~†%££@## ##@££%†~-.
..-~†%££@# #@££%†~-..
...-~†%££@ @££%†~-...
....-~†%££ ££%†~-....
.....-~†%£ £%†~-.....
......-~†% 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?" ~-........
.......-~† †~-.......
......-~†% %†~-......
.....-~†%£ £%†~-.....
....-~†%££ ££%†~-....
...-~†%££@ @££%†~-...