,-~*^^%¤¤# #¤¤%^^*~-,
,,,--~~^¤¤ ¤¤^~~--,,,
,,,--~~^¤# #¤^~~--,,,
,-~****%¤# #¤%****~-,
,-~*^%¤### ###¤%^*~-,
,-~*^%¤### 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?" ##%^*--,,,
,,,-~*^^¤¤ ¤¤^^*~-,,,
,-~*^%¤### ###¤%^*~-,
,-~*^%¤### ###¤%^*~-,
,,,,-~^%## ##%^~-,,,,
,,,,--*%%¤ ¤%%*--,,,,