,,»;=%##@# #@##%=;»,,
,,»;=%###@ @###%=;»,,
,,»;=%%### ###%%=;»,,
,,»;=%###@ @###%=;»,,
,,»;=%#### ####%=;»,,
,,»;=%%%%# 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?" #@##%=;»,,
,,,,,,,;%# #%;,,,,,,,
,,»;=%###@ @###%=;»,,
,,»;=%##@# #@##%=;»,,
,,»;=%#### ####%=;»,,
,,,,,,»=%# #%=»,,,,,,