,,,^^^~*$@                                          @$*~^^^,,,
,,,,,~~*$@                                          @$*~~,,,,,
,^~†***$@@                                          @@$***†~^,
,^~†*$@@##                                          ##@@$*†~^,
,,,,,^†$@@                                          @@$†^,,,,,
,,,^†****@  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 #@@**†^,,,
,^~†*$@@## sold a missile."  he  practically  beams ##@@$*†~^,
,^~†*$@@## at me,  teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ##@@$*†~^,
,,,,,,~†$@                 detour?"                 @$†~,,,,,,
,^~†*$@@##                                          ##@@$*†~^,
,,,,,,~*$@                                          @$*~,,,,,,
,^~†*$@@@@                                          @@@@$*†~^,
,,,,^††*@#                                          #@*††^,,,,
,,,,,,,~*@                                          @*~,,,,,,,