....~~=^¤& &¤^=~~....
.~=^$¤&@## ##@&¤$^=~.
..~==^^¤@@ @@¤^^==~..
.....~^$¤@ @¤$^~.....
.~=^$¤¤¤&& &&¤¤¤$^=~.
.~=^$¤&@## orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ##@&¤$^=~.
....~=^$$& along the rusty cargo cars like some &$$^=~....
.~=^$¤&@## species of ferrophage insect. up and ##@&¤$^=~.
.~=^$¤&@## down the train, checking bolts, oiling ##@&¤$^=~.
.~=^$¤&&&& joints, drinking coffee, smoking &&&&¤$^=~.
....~~=$&# cigarettes. #&$=~~....
......~^¤& &¤^~......
.~=^$¤&@## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ##@&¤$^=~.
.~=^$¤&@## ##@&¤$^=~.
.~~~^^¤&@@ 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?" ###@&¤^=~.
......=$&& &&$=......
.~=^$$¤&&@ @&&¤$$^=~.
.~=^$¤&@## ##@&¤$^=~.
....~~^¤&& &&¤^~~....
......~=$& &$=~......