@¤;;~~,,,, ,,,,~~;;¤@
##@#¤^;»~, ,~»;^¤#@##
@@#¤^^;»~, ,~»;^^¤#@@
#@#^»»~~,, ,,~~»»^#@#
##@#¤^;»~, ,~»;^¤#@##
@¤^;»»~,,, 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?" ,~»;^¤¤¤@#
@¤¤;;~~~,, ,,~~~;;¤¤@
#¤^^^;;»~, ,~»;;^^^¤#
@@@#¤^;»~, ,~»;^¤#@@@
#^^;»»,,,, ,,,,»»;^^#
##@#¤^;»~, ,~»;^¤#@##