....~†^@## ##@^†~....
.....~†^@# #@^†~.....
....~†^@## ##@^†~....
...~†^@### ###@^†~...
..~†^@#### ####@^†~..
...~†^@### 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?" ###@^†~...
....~†^@## ##@^†~....
.....~†^@# #@^†~.....
....~†^@## ##@^†~....
...~†^@### ###@^†~...
..~†^@#### ####@^†~..