,«:$%£@###                                          ###@£%$:«,
,~«:$%@###                                          ###@%$:«~,
~«:$%£@###                                          ###@£%$:«~
,~«:$%££@#                                          #@££%$:«~,
,~«:$%£@##                                          ##@£%$:«~,
,«:$%£@###  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ###@£%$:«,
,~«:$%££@# along  the  rusty  cargo cars like  some #@££%$:«~,
,~«:$%£@## species  of  ferrophage  insect.  up and ##@£%$:«~,
,~«:$%£@@@ down the train, checking  bolts,  oiling @@@£%$:«~,
,~~~«:%%%£     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 @@%:«««,,,
,,,,««$$%£                few times.                £%$$««,,,,
,~«:$%£@##                                          ##@£%$:«~,
,~«:$%££@# i'm  almost  snoozing again at the  time #@££%$:«~,
,~«:$%£@## karl puts down  the headphones and slaps ##@£%$:«~,
,~«:$%%£@# me  on my  back. "allright boy.  i  just #@£%%$:«~,
,,,,,,«:$£ sold a  missile."  he  practically beams £$:«,,,,,,
,~«:$%£@## at me, teeth filed  sharp. "wanna make a ##@£%$:«~,
,,,~:$%%%£                 detour?"                 £%%%$:~,,,
,~«:$%£@##                                          ##@£%$:«~,
,~«:$%£@##                                          ##@£%$:«~,
,,,,,~:%%@                                          @%%:~,,,,,
,,,,,«:$%£                                          £%$:«,,,,,
,~«:$%££££                                          ££££%$:«~,