.--^=&#### ####&=^--.
.--^=&@### ###@&=^--.
.--^=&##@@ @@##&=^--.
....-^=#@# #@#=^-....
......-^=# #=^-......
.--^=&#@## 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?" ##=-......
....-^^=## ##=^^-....
.--^=&#@## ##@#&=^--.
.--^====&# #&====^--.
.--^=&#@## ##@#&=^--.
.-----^=&@ @&=^-----.