#####,#,##                                          ###,#,,,#,
#,,,,####,                                          ,,,###,,##
,#,,,#,,,#                                          #,,#,,#,#,
,##,,##,,#                                          ,#,##,####
##,#,#,#,#                                          ####,##,,,
#,########  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?"                 #,,,,#,,#,
#####,####                                          ,#,,,##,##
,,,,,##,,,                                          ###,,#,##,
,,,,,#,#,,                                          ,,,#,###,#
#,,,,####,                                          ,,,###,,##
,#,,,#,,,#                                          #,,#,,#,#,