@#$%^~,... ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... CIGARETTES. ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. CALL?" ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... FEW TIMES. ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ...,~^%$#@
#$%^~,.... DETOUR?" ....,~^%$#
@#$%^~,... ...,~^%$#@
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
##@#$%^~,. .,~^%$#@##
#@#$%^~,.. ..,~^%$#@#
@#$%^~,... ...,~^%$#@