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