#@#&%%;-:, ,:-;%%&#@#
#%;-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-;%#
#%%-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-%%#
#&%;---,,, ,,,---;%&#
#&&%--::,, ,,::--%&&#
&%--,,,,,, 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?" ,,::;;%%#@
###&%%;-:, ,:-;%%&###
&%%%%;--:, ,:--;%%%%&
@@#&%%;-:, ,:-;%%&#@@
&%;:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:;%&
#@#&%%;-:, ,:-;%%&#@#