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