##@£%%^~~. .~~^%%£@##
#@£%%^~~.. ..~~^%%£@#
@£%%^~~... ...~~^%%£@
£%%^~~.... ....~~^%%£
@£%%^~~... ...~~^%%£@
#@£%%^~~.. 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?" ..~~^%%£@#
##@£%%^~~. .~~^%%£@##
#@£%%^~~.. ..~~^%%£@#
@£%%^~~... ...~~^%%£@
£%%^~~.... ....~~^%%£
@£%%^~~... ...~~^%%£@