,,=^*@&### ###&@*^=,,
,,,=^*@&## ##&@*^=,,,
,,,,=^*@&# #&@*^=,,,,
,,,,,=^*@& &@*^=,,,,,
,,,,,,=^*@ @*^=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=^* 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?" *^=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=^ ^=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,