,:-;$§#@## ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;;$$$§@ @§$$$;;-:,
,:---$$$## ##$$$---:,
,:-;$§#@## ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$$$§## DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ##§$$$;-:,
,:-;$$$##@ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING @##$$$;-:,
,,,:;;;;$# CIGARETTES. #$;;;;:,,,
,:---$§### ###§$---:,
,:-;$§#@## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;;$§§#@ @#§§$;;-:,
,:-;$§#@## WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ##@#§$;-:,
,,,,,,:;§@ 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 ##§;;:::,,
,:-;$§#### PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ####§$;-:,
,,,,:-$$§# REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH #§$$-:,,,,
,:-;$§#@## WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$$$$## AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ##$$$$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## FEW TIMES. ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$$$### ###$$$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ##@#§$;-:,
,:---;$##@ ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST @##$;---:,
,:-;$§#@## SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ##@#§$;-:,
,,,,,:;;$# AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #$;;:,,,,,
,:-;$§#@## DETOUR?" ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;;$§#@@ @@#§$;;-:,
,:-;$§#@## ##@#§$;-:,
,:-;$§#@## ##@#§$;-:,
,,,:-;;$## ##$;;-:,,,
,,,,,:;§#@ @#§;:,,,,,