,:~/^%§@##                                          ##@§%^/~:,
,:~/^%§@##                                          ##@§%^/~:,
,:~/^%§@##                                          ##@§%^/~:,
,,,,,~^§§@                                          @§§^~,,,,,
,,,,:~^§@@                                          @@§^~:,,,,
,:~/^%§@##  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?"                 @@§§%^/~:,
,,,,://%§#                                          #§%//:,,,,
,~/^%§@###                                          ###@§%^/~,
,,,,:~^§@#                                          #@§^~:,,,,
,,,:~~^%§§                                          §§%^~~:,,,
,,,,,:/^§@                                          @§^/:,,,,,