##@&$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$&@##
##@&$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$&@##
###@$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$@###
#&$$$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$$$&#
#@&$$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$$&@#
#@&$%%;-.,  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ,.-;%%$&@#
@@$$%%;-., ALONG  THE  RUSTY  CARGO  CARS LIKE SOME ,.-;%%$$@@
&%--,,,,,, 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.                ,,..-;;%%&
##@&$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$&@##
##@&$%;-., I'M ALMOST  SNOOZING  AGAIN  AT THE TIME ,.-;%$&@##
@$$%;.,,,, KARL  PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,,,,.;%$$@
##@&$%;-., ME ON  MY BACK.  "ALLRIGHT BOY.  I  JUST ,.-;%$&@##
##@&$%;-., SOLD  A MISSILE." HE  PRACTICALLY  BEAMS ,.-;%$&@##
##@&$%;-., AT  ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,.-;%$&@##
&&$$;.,,,,                 DETOUR?"                 ,,,,.;$$&&
@@&%%-.,,,                                          ,,,.-%%&@@
##@&$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$&@##
@$;;..,,,,                                          ,,,,..;;$@
###@&%;-.,                                          ,.-;%&@###
##@&$%;-.,                                          ,.-;%$&@##