,,,,,,,:~/                                          /~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~  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.                $†/~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~/†                                          †/~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~/ I'M  ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN  AT THE  TIME /~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ KARL PUTS  DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: ME  ON MY BACK.  "ALLRIGHT  BOY. I  JUST :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, SOLD  A MISSILE."  HE  PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: AT  ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                 DETOUR?"                 ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~/                                          /~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~/†                                          †/~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~/†$                                          $†/~:,,,,,
,,,,:~/†$&                                          &$†/~:,,,,
,,,:~/†$&@                                          @&$†/~:,,,