,,,,,,,,~~ ~~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~~ ~~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~~^ 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?" ^~~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~~^* *^~~,,,,,,
,,,,,~~^*£ £*^~~,,,,,
,,,,~~^*£@ @£*^~~,,,,
,,,~~^*£@# #@£*^~~,,,
,,~~^*£@## ##@£*^~~,,