.^~~~=%%¶#                                          #¶%%=~~~^.
.^~†=%&¶##                                          ##¶&%=†~^.
.^~†=%&¶##                                          ##¶&%=†~^.
..^~††††%¶                                          ¶%††††~^..
.....^~=&#                                          #&=~^.....
.^~†=%¶###  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?"                 ¶¶&==†~^^.
....~~==&&                                          &&==~~....
..^^^~=%&¶                                          ¶&%=~^^^..
.^~†=%&¶##                                          ##¶&%=†~^.
.^~†=%&¶##                                          ##¶&%=†~^.
...~~†%%&¶                                          ¶&%%†~~...