#@#@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@#@#
#@@@///-,¨ ¨,-///@@@#
@@#@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@#@@
##@@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@@##
#@#@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@#@#
##@#@†/-,¨ 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?" ¨,-/†@@#@#
#@#@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@#@#
#@//-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-//@#
#@#@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@#@#
@@@@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@@@@
@@#@@†/-,¨ ¨,-/†@@#@@