,,,,,~%$## ##$%~,,,,,
,~~:%$#### ####$%:~~,
,~~:%$###@ @###$%:~~,
,,,,,,~~%# #%~~,,,,,,
,,,~:%%%## ##%%%:~,,,
,,~~~~%### 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?" ##%%%%:~~,
,,,,,~:$$# #$$:~,,,,,
,~~:%$##@# #@##$%:~~,
,~~:%$$$## ##$$$%:~~,
,,,~~%%%#@ @#%%%~~,,,
,~~:%$##@# #@##$%:~~,