##==:--,,, ,,,--:==##
@@##$=:»-, ,-»:=$##@@
#=»»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»»=#
#===:-,,,, ,,,,-:===#
##@##$=»-, ,-»=$##@##
#@##$=:»-, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,-»:=$##@#
@###$=:»-, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,-»:=$###@
##$:»,,,,, SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,,,,,»:$##
###$:-,,,, DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,,,,-:$###
#$:»,,,,,, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,,,,,,»:$#
####$=:»-, CIGARETTES. ,-»:=$####
####$=:»-, ,-»:=$####
#@##$=:»-, ############################## ,-»:=$##@#
@##$:»-,,, ,,,-»:$##@
@###$=:»-, WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ,-»:=$###@
###$$=:»-, THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ,-»:=$$###
#@##$=:»-, FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ,-»:=$##@#
@@##$=:»-, TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ,-»:=$##@@
@#==»»»-,, 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 ,,,,,-:=##
#@##$=:»-, SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,-»:=$##@#
#@##$=:»-, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,-»:=$##@#
#$::--,,,, DETOUR?" ,,,,--::$#
##=:»,,,,, ,,,,,»:=##
#$$$$=:»-, ,-»:=$$$$#
@###$=:»-, ,-»:=$###@
####$=:»-, ,-»:=$####
@@##$=:»-, ,-»:=$##@@