.,=*†&@###                                          ###@&†*=,.
.....=*&##                                          ##&*=.....
....,=**&@                                          @&**=,....
.,=*†&@###                                          ###@&†*=,.
....,*††@#                                          #@††*,....
.,=*†&@@@#  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?"                 ##@@&†*=,.
.,=**†&&##                                          ##&&†**=,.
.,===*&&##                                          ##&&*===,.
.....,*†@@                                          @@†*,.....
......,*†@                                          @†*,......
.,=*†&####                                          ####&†*=,.