,,,,,~/^$#                                          #$^/~,,,,,
,,,,,,~/^$                                          $^/~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~/^                                          ^/~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~/                                          /~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~/  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  /~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~/^ ALONG  THE RUSTY  CARGO  CARS LIKE  SOME ^/~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~/^$ 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 $^/~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~/^ AT ME,  TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ^/~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~/                 DETOUR?"                 /~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~/                                          /~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~/^                                          ^/~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~/^$                                          $^/~,,,,,,
,,,,,~/^$#                                          #$^/~,,,,,