####$*†~., ,.~†*$####
###***†~., ,.~†***###
####$*†~., ,.~†*$####
##*~..,,,, ,,,,..~*##
###$†~,,,, ,,,,~†$###
####$*†~., ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,.~†*$####
#$**†~..., ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,...~†**$#
#$$***†~., SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,.~†***$$#
#####*†~., 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 ,,,,.†$$##
#$†.,,,,,, KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,,,,,,.†$#
####$*†~., ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ,.~†*$####
####$*†~., SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,.~†*$####
####$*†~., AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,.~†*$####
##$*~.,,,, DETOUR?" ,,,,.~*$##
####$*†~., ,.~†*$####
####$*†~., ,.~†*$####
####$*†~., ,.~†*$####
##**†...,, ,,...†**##
#*†...,,,, ,,,,...†*#