,,~†$$$@@@                                          @@@$$$†~,,
,,,,~†$$$@                                          @$$$†~,,,,
,,,,~†$$@#                                          #@$$†~,,,,
,,,,,††$$@                                          @$$††,,,,,
,,~†$$@¶¶#                                          #¶¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶##  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶## ALONG  THE  RUSTY  CARGO  CARS LIKE SOME ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶## SPECIES  OF FERROPHAGE  INSECT.  UP  AND ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶## DOWN THE TRAIN,  CHECKING BOLTS,  OILING ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶##     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶##               CIGARETTES.                ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶##                                          ##¶@$$†~,,
,,,,,,~$@#      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      #@$~,,,,,,
,,~†$$@¶##                                          ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶## WE  WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH  FINLAND AT ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@@@¶ THE  TIME,   SLEEPING   CLOSE   TO   THE ¶@@@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶##  FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS.  ##¶@$$†~,,
,,,,,,††$¶   TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW,  ¶$††,,,,,,
,,~†$$@¶## MOST   OF   WHICH   WERE  MECHANICS,  OR ##¶@$$†~,,
,,,,,,††$@ LOADERS,  WITH  LARGE  AND  HAIRY  HANDS @$††,,,,,,
,,~†$$@¶## THAT  COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE  BODY. AND ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶## ME FEATURING  AS THE  CUTE  AND  ASOCIAL ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶## RADIO OPERATOR,  STATIONED  IN  THE BACK ##¶@$$†~,,
,,,,,~†$@¶    OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH    ¶@$†~,,,,,
,,~†$$@¶##         SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL.         ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶¶#                                          #¶¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$@¶## AND  THEN  ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ##¶@$$†~,,
,,,,~~$$$@ WE  WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP  NEW CARS AT @$$$~~,,,,
,,,,,,†$@¶ THE TAIL, AND DROP  SOME  OFF, AS  A WAY ¶@$†,,,,,,
,,~~†$$$@# OF  EARNING  SOME  EXTRA  MONEY.  BUT  A #@$$$†~~,,
,,~†$$@¶## MISSILE, AND APPEARING  SILENTLY IN  THE ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$$$$@ MIDDLE  OF   THE   NIGHT  AT  THAT?  NOT @$$$$$†~,,
,,,,~~$$@¶         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 ##¶@$$†~,,
,,~†$$$$¶#                 DETOUR?"                 #¶$$$$†~,,
,,,,~$$$@@                                          @@$$$~,,,,
,,,,,~$@¶#                                          #¶@$~,,,,,
,,,,,,†$$¶                                          ¶$$†,,,,,,
,,~†$$@@@#                                          #@@@$$†~,,
,,~†$@¶###                                          ###¶@$†~,,