¨¨¨,«;*%@@                                          @@%*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*%@@#                                          #@@%*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*%@@##                                          ##@@%*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*%@@#                                          #@@%*;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*%@@                                          @@%*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;*%@  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?"                 @%*;«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*%@@                                          @@%*;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;*%@@#                                          #@@%*;«,¨¨
¨,«;*%@@##                                          ##@@%*;«,¨
¨¨,«;*%@@#                                          #@@%*;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;*%@@                                          @@%*;«,¨¨¨