,^~;*$&@@@                                          @@@&$*;~^,
,^~;;*$$&@                                          @&$$*;;~^,
,^~;*$&@@#                                          #@@&$*;~^,
,^~;*$&@@@                                          @@@&$*;~^,
,^~;*$&@@#                                          #@@&$*;~^,
,,,,^~~;*&  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 &*;;^^,,,,
,^~;*$&@@# AT ME, TEETH  FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #@@&$*;~^,
,,,,,~*$&@                 DETOUR?"                 @&$*~,,,,,
,^~;*$&@@#                                          #@@&$*;~^,
,,,~~;*$$@                                          @$$*;~~,,,
,^~;*$&@@#                                          #@@&$*;~^,
,^~;*$&@@#                                          #@@&$*;~^,
,^~*$&@@##                                          ##@@&$*~^,