,,,,,,:»^@ @^»:,,,,,,
,:»/^@@£## ##£@@^/»:,
,,,,://@@@ @@@//:,,,,
,:»/^@£### ###£@^/»:,
,:»/^@@£## ##£@@^/»:,
,,,,»»/^@£ 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?" ##£@@^/»:,
,,,,»/@@@# #@@@/»,,,,
,:»/^@@£## ##£@@^/»:,
,»/^@@£### ###£@@^/»,
,:»/^^@@@@ @@@@^^/»:,
,:»/^@@£## ##£@@^/»:,