#¤***~~^.. ..^~~***¤#
#¤**~^^... ...^^~**¤#
###¤£*\~^. .^~\*£¤###
#££\~..... .....~\££#
###¤£*\~^. .^~\*£¤###
###¤£*\~^. 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?" ...^^~\**¤
#££££*\~^. .^~\*££££#
##¤¤£*\~^. .^~\*£¤¤##
###¤£*\~^. .^~\*£¤###
#¤**\^^^.. ..^^^\**¤#
###¤£*\~^. .^~\*£¤###