,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,
,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,
,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,
,^===**§§§                                          §§§**===^,
,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,
,^=/*§@###  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?"                 §§**=,,,,,
,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,
,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,
,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,
,,,^^=/*§@                                          @§*/=^^,,,
,^=/*§§@##                                          ##@§§*/=^,