...=\\=**@                                          @**=\\=...
.....,=\=@                                          @=\=,.....
.,=\=@¶###                                          ###¶@=\=,.
.,=\=*@¶##                                          ##¶@*=\=,.
.,=\=@¶###                                          ###¶@=\=,.
...,=\**¶¶  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?"                 ##¶@*=\=,.
....====@@                                          @@====....
.,=\=*@¶##                                          ##¶@*=\=,.
...,==\*@@                                          @@*\==,...
.,=\=*@¶##                                          ##¶@*=\=,.
...,===@¶#                                          #¶@===,...