.^~;%$£@## ##@£$%;~^.
..^~;%$£@# #@£$%;~^..
...^~;%$£@ @£$%;~^...
....^~;%$£ £$%;~^....
.....^~;%$ $%;~^.....
......^~;% ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING %;~^......
.......^~; ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ;~^.......
........^~ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ~^........
.........^ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ^.........
.......... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ..........
.......... CIGARETTES. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ..........
.......... ..........
.......... WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ..........
.......... THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ..........
.........^ FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ^.........
........^~ TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ~^........
.......^~; MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ;~^.......
......^~;% LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS %;~^......
.....^~;%$ 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?" ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........^ ^.........