..^~:^¤¶@# #@¶¤^:~^..
...^~:^¤¶@ @¶¤^:~^...
....^~:^¤¶ ¶¤^:~^....
.....^~:^¤ ¤^:~^.....
......^~:^ ^:~^......
.......^~: 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?" ##@¶¤^:~^.
..^~:^¤¶@# #@¶¤^:~^..
...^~:^¤¶@ @¶¤^:~^...
....^~:^¤¶ ¶¤^:~^....
.....^~:^¤ ¤^:~^.....
......^~:^ ^:~^......