##¶#%^=-:. .:-=^%#¶##
¶¶#^=-.... ....-=^#¶¶
##¶#%^=-:. .:-=^%#¶##
¶%=:...... ......:=%¶
###^^==-:. .:-==^^###
##¶#%^=-:. 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?" .:-=^%#¶##
¶#^^^=:::. .:::=^^^#¶
##¶#%^=-:. .:-=^%#¶##
#%=-:..... .....:-=%#
#%====--:. .:--====%#
####%^=-:. .:-=^%####