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