#**%%».... ....»%%**#
###£*%^».. ..»^%*£###
####£*%^». .»^%*£####
####£*%^». .»^%*£####
£%^^^^.... ....^^^^%£
###£*%^».. 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?" ..»^%*£###
##£*^..... .....^*£##
###£*%^».. ..»^%*£###
###£*%^».. ..»^%*£###
###£*%^».. ..»^%*£###
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