,,~/*¤¤### ###¤¤*/~,,
,,,~/*¤¤## ##¤¤*/~,,,
,,~/*¤¤### ###¤¤*/~,,
,,,~/*¤¤## ##¤¤*/~,,,
,,~/*¤¤### ###¤¤*/~,,
,,,~/*¤¤## 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?" ##¤¤*/~,,,
,,~/*¤¤### ###¤¤*/~,,
,,,~/*¤¤## ##¤¤*/~,,,
,,~/*¤¤### ###¤¤*/~,,
,,,~/*¤¤## ##¤¤*/~,,,
,,~/*¤¤### ###¤¤*/~,,