##@@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@@##
@@@@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@@@@
##@@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@@##
@@@@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@@@@
@*\=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=\*@
##@@%*\=,, 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?" ,,=\*%@@##
###@@%*\,, ,,\*%@@###
###@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@###
##@@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@@##
##@@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@@##
##@@%*\=,, ,,=\*%@@##