,^»=§%&###                                          ###&%§=»^,
,^»=§%&###                                          ###&%§=»^,
,^»=§%%%%#                                          #%%%%§=»^,
,^»=§%&###                                          ###&%§=»^,
,^»=§%&###                                          ###&%§=»^,
,,,,»==§&#  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?"                 ##&%=»,,,,
,^»=§%&###                                          ###&%§=»^,
,^»=§%&###                                          ###&%§=»^,
,^^^^^=§%#                                          #%§=^^^^^,
,^^»»===§&                                          &§===»»^^,
,^»=§%####                                          ####%§=»^,