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##@£§**~:¨ 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. ¨¨:~**§£@#
##@£§**~:¨ ¨:~**§£@##
#@£§**~:¨¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨¨:~**§£@#
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£§**~:¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨:~**§£@#
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£§**~:¨¨¨¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨¨¨¨:~**§£
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#@£§**~:¨¨ 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?" ¨:~**§£@##
#@£§**~:¨¨ ¨¨:~**§£@#
@£§**~:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:~**§£@
£§**~:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:~**§£
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