,,,,,^==^% %^==^,,,,,
,,,,,,^==^ ^==^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^== ==^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^== ==^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^==^ 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?" =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^== ==^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^==^ ^==^,,,,,,
,,,,,^==^% %^==^,,,,,
,,,,^==^%# #%^==^,,,,
,,,^==^%## ##%^==^,,,