####$*\~,¨ ¨,~\*$####
###@$*\~,¨ ¨,~\*$@###
###@$*\~,¨ ¨,~\*$@###
#$$*~~,,,¨ ¨,,,~~*$$#
##@*~~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~~*@##
####@$*\~, orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ,~\*$@####
###@$*\~,¨ along the rusty cargo cars like some ¨,~\*$@###
##$$$*\~,¨ species of ferrophage insect. up and ¨,~\*$$$##
##$*\~~¨¨¨ down the train, checking bolts, oiling ¨¨¨~~\*$##
@*\,¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨~\$@@
###@$*\~,¨ detour?" ¨,~\*$@###
####@$*~,¨ ¨,~*$@####
###@$*\~,¨ ¨,~\*$@###
###@$*\~,¨ ¨,~\*$@###
####@$\~,¨ ¨,~\$@####
#@$$*~~,¨¨ ¨¨,~~*$$@#