,,,,,,~$@@ @@$~,,,,,,
,~~/$¤@#@# #@#@¤$/~~,
,~~/$¤@##@ @##@¤$/~~,
,~~/$¤@### ###@¤$/~~,
,~~~~~~$¤# #¤$~~~~~~,
,~~/$¤@#@# ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING #@#@¤$/~~,
,,,,~~/¤@@ 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 @¤/~~~~~,,
,~~/$¤@#@# AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN #@#@¤$/~~,
,,,,,~~$@@ PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A @@$~~,,,,,
,~~/$¤@#@# REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH #@#@¤$/~~,
,~~/$¤@#@# WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW #@#@¤$/~~,
,~~/$¤@#@# AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A #@#@¤$/~~,
,,,,,,~~$@ FEW TIMES. @$~~,,,,,,
,~~/$¤@#@# #@#@¤$/~~,
~~/$¤@#@## I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ##@#@¤$/~~
,,,~~~$$@@ KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS @@$$~~~,,,
,~~/$¤@@## ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ##@@¤$/~~,
,~~/$¤@#@# SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS #@#@¤$/~~,
,,,,,,~$¤@ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A @¤$~,,,,,,
,~~/$$$¤@@ DETOUR?" @@¤$$$/~~,
,~~/$¤@### ###@¤$/~~,
,~~/$¤@#@# #@#@¤$/~~,
,,~~~$$@#@ @#@$$~~~,,
,~~/$¤@### ###@¤$/~~,
,~~/$¤@### ###@¤$/~~,