##@¤$%\~^. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... CIGARETTES. ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. CALL?" ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. FEW TIMES. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. DETOUR?" ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. .^~\%$¤@##
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
@¤$%\~^... ...^~\%$¤@
#@¤$%\~^.. ..^~\%$¤@#
##@¤$%\~^. .^~\%$¤@##