##%\~..... .....~\%##
###%\\~... ...~\\%###
###%\~~~.. ..~~~\%###
#%^~~..... .....~~^%#
####%^\~~. .~~\^%####
####%^\~~. 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?" .~~~~\^^^#
####%^\~~. .~~\^%####
####%^\~~. .~~\^%####
#%^~~..... .....~~^%#
#####%^\~. .~\^%#####
#^~....... .......~^#