####@^:~-, ,-~:^@####
####@^:~-, ,-~:^@####
#@::-,,,,, ,,,,,-::@#
###^^~~,,, ,,,~~^^###
####@^:~-, ,-~:^@####
##@^^::~-, 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?" ,-~:^@####
####@^:~-, ,-~:^@####
##@@^::~-, ,-~::^@@##
####@^:~-, ,-~:^@####
####@^:~-, ,-~:^@####
####@^:~-, ,-~:^@####