,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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 $==»~,,,,,
,,,,,,~»== after a while there's a reply in ==»~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~»= pan-slavic. karl laughs and makes a =»~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~» reply in the same language. even though »~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ we both have headphones i can't follow ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, at all, but i hear the word "missile" a ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, few times. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, i'm almost snoozing again at the time ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, karl puts down the headphones and slaps ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, me on my back. "allright boy. i just ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, sold a missile." he practically beams ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, detour?" ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~» »~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~»= =»~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~»== ==»~,,,,,,
,,,,,~»==$ $==»~,,,,,