@@@@,,,,,@ @,@@,@,@,,
,,,@,,,,@, @@,@@@@@,@
,,@@,,,@@@ ,@@,,,,@@@
,@,@,,@,,@ @,@,,,@,,@
@@@@,@@,@, @@@,,@@,@@
,,,@@,@@@@ 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?" ,@@,@,@@,@
,,,,,,@@,, @,@@@@,@@@
,,,,,@,@,@ @@,,,@@,,@
,,,,@@@@@, ,@,,@,@,@@
,,,@,,,,@, @@,@@@@@,@
,,@@,,,@@@ ,@@,,,,@@@