,:»;=%#@## ##@#%=;»:,
,,,,,::»=# #=»::,,,,,
,:»;=%#### ####%=;»:,
,,,,,:»;=# #=;»:,,,,,
,:»;=%#@## ##@#%=;»:,
,:»;=%#@## 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?" #@%;»,,,,,
,,,,»;=#@# #@#=;»,,,,
,:»;=#@### ###@#=;»:,
,:»;=%#@## ##@#%=;»:,
,,,,»;=%%# #%%=;»,,,,
,:»;%#@### ###@#%;»:,