,:~=^§§###                                          ###§§^=~:,
,,:~=^§§##                                          ##§§^=~:,,
,,,:~=^§§#                                          #§§^=~:,,,
,,:~=^§§##                                          ##§§^=~:,,
,:~=^§§###                                          ###§§^=~:,
,,:~=^§§##  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?"                 ##§§^=~:,,
,:~=^§§###                                          ###§§^=~:,
,,:~=^§§##                                          ##§§^=~:,,
,,,:~=^§§#                                          #§§^=~:,,,
,,:~=^§§##                                          ##§§^=~:,,
,:~=^§§###                                          ###§§^=~:,