,^^^==§§@#                                          #@§§==^^^,
,,,,,^=§#£                                          £#§=^,,,,,
,,,,^=§##£                                          £##§=^,,,,
,,,,,,=§@#                                          #@§=,,,,,,
,^=/§@#£##                                          ##£#@§/=^,
,,,,,^^/@£  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?"                 £###@§/=^,
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,,,,,,=§§#                                          #§§=,,,,,,
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