@@*^^..... .....^^*@@
#@#@¤*^~^. .^~^*¤@#@#
#@@**~~... ...~~**@@#
@@¤¤*^^... ...^^*¤¤@@
#@#@¤*^~^. .^~^*¤@#@#
##¤¤^^^... 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?" .^~^*¤@##@
@##@¤*^~^. .^~^*¤@##@
@@#@¤*^~^. .^~^*¤@#@@
#@#@¤*^~^. .^~^*¤@#@#
@*^^^..... .....^^^*@
###@¤*^~^. .^~^*¤@###