,,,,^=^*&@ @&*^=^,,,,
,,,^=^*&@@ @@&*^=^,,,
,,^=^*&@@@ @@@&*^=^,,
,^=^*&@@@# #@@@&*^=^,
,,^=^*&@@@ @@@&*^=^,,
,,,^=^*&@@ 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?" @@&*^=^,,,
,,,,^=^*&@ @&*^=^,,,,
,,,,,^=^*& &*^=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=^* *^=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=^ ^=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,