.^«;%£&@@# #@@&£%;«^.
..^^«;££@@ @@££;«^^..
.....^;£&@ @&£;^.....
.^«;%£&@@# #@@&£%;«^.
....^^;%&@ @&%;^^....
.^«;%£&@@@ 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?" &%«.......
....^«%%&& &&%%«^....
.^«;%£&@@@ @@@&£%;«^.
.^«;%£&@@# #@@&£%;«^.
.^«;%£&@@# #@@&£%;«^.
.^«;%£&@@# #@@&£%;«^.