,,~/%@#### ####@%/~,,
,,,~~//@## ##@//~~,,,
,,~/%@#### ####@%/~,,
,,,,,~~/@# #@/~~,,,,,
,,,,,,/@## ##@/,,,,,,
,,,~/%%%%# 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?" #%%~~~,,,,
,,~/@##### #####@/~,,
,,~/%@#### ####@%/~,,
,~/%@##### #####@%/~,
,,~/%@#### ####@%/~,,
,,~/%@#### ####@%/~,,