.^-**%#### ####%**-^.
.^-**%#### ####%**-^.
.....^*%## ##%*^.....
...^****## ##****^...
.^-**%#### ####%**-^.
....^--*## 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?" #%**-.....
.....-*%%# #%%*-.....
.^-**%#### ####%**-^.
......-*## ##*-......
.^-**%#### ####%**-^.
.^-**%#### ####%**-^.