@$:»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»:$@
@#@=»»,,,, ,,,,»»=@#@
@$:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:$@
#$=:»,,,,, ,,,,,»:=$#
#@#@$=:»,, ,,»:=$@#@#
##@@$=:»,, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,,»:=$@@##
#@#@$=:»,, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,,»:=$@#@#
#@===»»»,, 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?" ,,,,,,»=@@
##@#@$=»,, ,,»=$@#@##
#@#@$=:»,, ,,»:=$@#@#
@@#@$=:»,, ,,»:=$@#@@
#@===:,,,, ,,,,:===@#
#$=:»»,,,, ,,,,»»:=$#