,,,,-%@@££                                          ££@@%-,,,,
,,,,,,-%@@                                          @@%-,,,,,,
,^^-††††@@                                          @@††††-^^,
,^--††@@£@                                          @£@@††--^,
,^-†%@@£££                                          £££@@%†-^,
,^-†%@@£@#  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?"                 #@£@@%†-^,
,^-†%@@@@@                                          @@@@@%†-^,
,,,,^†@@£@                                          @£@@†^,,,,
,^-†%@@£@#                                          #@£@@%†-^,
,,,,,--†@£                                          £@†--,,,,,
,^-†%@@@£@                                          @£@@@%†-^,