,,,,,,#,,#                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
#####,,,,,                                          ##########
####,,####                                          ##########
###,,,,###                                          ,#########
##,,##,,#,                                          ,,########
#,,,,,,,,,  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?"                 ##########
##########                                          ##########
##########                                          ##########
##########                                          ##########
##########                                          ##########
##########                                          ##########