,,,.~=%£@# #@£%=~.,,,
,,,,.~=%£@ @£%=~.,,,,
,,,.~=%£@# #@£%=~.,,,
,,.~=%£@## ##@£%=~.,,
,.~=%£@### ###@£%=~.,
,,.~=%£@## 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?" ##@£%=~.,,
,,,.~=%£@# #@£%=~.,,,
,,,,.~=%£@ @£%=~.,,,,
,,,.~=%£@# #@£%=~.,,,
,,.~=%£@## ##@£%=~.,,
,.~=%£@### ###@£%=~.,