,^~=^$§@## ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§@@@ @@@§$^=~^,
,,,,^=^^§§ §§^^=^,,,,
,^~=^$§@## ##@§$^=~^,
,^~^$§@### ###@§$^~^,
,^~=^$§@## ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§@## ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ##@§$^=~^,
,,,,~^^$§§ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND §§$^^~,,,,
,^~=^$§@## DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§@## JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§@## CIGARETTES. ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§@## ##@§$^=~^,
,,,^^=^$§# @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ #§$^=^^,,,
,^~=^$§@@@ @@@§$^=~^,
,,,,,~=^§# 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 #§§^~~^,,,
,^~=^$§@## FEW TIMES. ##@§$^=~^,
,,,,,~=^^§ §^^=~,,,,,
,^~=^$§@## I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§§§@ KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS @§§§$^=~^,
,,,,~~^$§§ ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST §§$^~~,,,,
,^~=^$§@## SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§§@# AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #@§§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§@## DETOUR?" ##@§$^=~^,
,^~=^$§@## ##@§$^=~^,
,,,,~=^§@@ @@§^=~,,,,
,,,,,,~^§§ §§^~,,,,,,
,^~=^$§@## ##@§$^=~^,
^~=^$§@### ###@§$^=~^