,~~:§@¤### ###¤@§:~~,
,,~~:§@¤## ##¤@§:~~,,
,,,~~:§@¤# #¤@§:~~,,,
,,,,~~:§@¤ ¤@§:~~,,,,
,,,,,~~:§@ @§:~~,,,,,
,,,,,,~~:§ 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?" §:~~,,,,,,
,,,,,~~:§@ @§:~~,,,,,
,,,,~~:§@¤ ¤@§:~~,,,,
,,,~~:§@¤# #¤@§:~~,,,
,,~~:§@¤## ##¤@§:~~,,
,~~:§@¤### ###¤@§:~~,