,^~;^%#### ####%^;~^,
,^~;^%#### ####%^;~^,
,^~;^%#### ####%^;~^,
,^~;;;^%%# #%%^;;;~^,
,,,,,^;%## ##%;^,,,,,
,^~;^%#### 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?" ##%;~,,,,,
,^~;^%#### ####%^;~^,
,,,,,~^%## ##%^~,,,,,
,,,,,,~~^# #^~~,,,,,,
,^~;^%#### ####%^;~^,
,,,~;;^### ###^;;~,,,