#$††*^.... ....^*††$#
##@#$†*~^. .^~*†$#@##
##@#$†*~^. .^~*†$#@##
@#$$*^^... ...^^*$$#@
##@#$†*~^. .^~*†$#@##
##@#$†*~^. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING .^~*†$#@##
#†*^^..... 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?" .....~††##
@#†**~.... ....~**†#@
##@#$†*~^. .^~*†$#@##
@#$†~..... .....~†$#@
#††*^..... .....^*††#
#$$††~^^.. ..^^~††$$#