,^~/†§§@##                                          ##@§§†/~^,
,,,,,^~/§@                                          @§/~^,,,,,
,,,,,~/§§@                                          @§§/~,,,,,
,^~/†§§@@#                                          #@@§§†/~^,
,^~/†§§@##                                          ##@§§†/~^,
,,,,,,,~†§  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?"                 @@§/~~^^,,
,,,^///§§§                                          §§§///^,,,
,,,,~~~†§§                                          §§†~~~,,,,
,^~/†§§@##                                          ##@§§†/~^,
,,,^~††§§§                                          §§§††~^,,,
,^~/†§§@@#                                          #@@§§†/~^,