.,=*†&@### ###@&†*=,.
.....=*# ##&*=.....
....,=**&@ @&**=,....
.,=*†&@### ###@&†*=,.
....,*††@# #@††*,....
.,=*†&@@@# 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?" ##@@&†*=,.
.,=**†&# ##&&†**=,.
.,===*&# ##&&*===,.
.....,*†@@ @@†*,.....
......,*†@ @†*,......
.,=*†### ####&†*=,.