,,,^^::*#@ @#*::^^,,,
,^«:*£#@@# #@@#£*:«^,
,^«:*£#@## ##@#£*:«^,
,^«:*£#@@# #@@#£*:«^,
,^«:*£#@@# #@@#£*:«^,
,^«:*£#@@@ 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?" @#**:«««^,
,^«:*£#@@# #@@#£*:«^,
,^«:*£#@@@ @@@#£*:«^,
,,,,,«**£@ @£**«,,,,,
,,,,,«**#@ @#**«,,,,,
,^^^««:**# #**:««^^^,