,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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?" ,,,,,,,,-=
/=-,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,-=/
§/=-,,,,,, ,,,,,,-=/§
&§/=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=/§&
£&§/=-,,,, ,,,,-=/§&£
¶£&§/=-,,, ,,,-=/§&£¶