.....~^^$# #$^^~.....
..~^†$@#@# #@#@$†^~..
.....~^†$@ @$†^~.....
..~^†$@#@# #@#@$†^~..
..~^†$@### ###@$†^~..
..~^$@#@## ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ##@#@$^~..
..~^†$@#@# ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME #@#@$†^~..
..~^†$@##@ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND @##@$†^~..
..~^†$@#@@ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING @@#@$†^~..
....~^^††@ 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 @†^~......
..~^†††$#@ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS @#$†††^~..
..~^†$@#@@ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A @@#@$†^~..
..~^†$@#@@ DETOUR?" @@#@$†^~..
......~^$# #$^~......
..~^†$@#@# #@#@$†^~..
....~†$$@# #@$$†~....
..~^†$@#@# #@#@$†^~..
..~^†$@#@# #@#@$†^~..