,,..^^%§##                                          ##§%^^..,,
,.~^%%§###                                          ###§%%^~.,
,.~^%%§###                                          ###§%%^~.,
,,,,..~%§#                                          #§%~..,,,,
,.~^%%%%%§                                          §%%%%%^~.,
,.~^^^%%%§  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?"                 ###§%%^~.,
,.~^%%%§§§                                          §§§%%%^~.,
,.~^%%§###                                          ###§%%^~.,
,.~^%%§§##                                          ##§§%%^~.,
,.~^%%§###                                          ###§%%^~.,
,.~^%%§###                                          ###§%%^~.,