#.#...##..                                          #..#......
...#..###.                                          ##..#.....
....#.#.##                                          .##..#....
........##                                          .###..#...
........#.                                          .#.##..#..
..........  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?"                 #.........
..#.##..#.                                          .#........
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....#.##..                                          #..#......
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