........:~                                          ~:........
.........:                                          :.........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........  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?"                 †~:.......
......:~†^                                          ^†~:......
.....:~†^#                                          #^†~:.....
....:~†^#@                                          @#^†~:....
...:~†^#@#                                          #@#^†~:...
..:~†^#@##                                          ##@#^†~:..