.:~†^¤§###                                          ###§¤^†~:.
..:~†^¤§##                                          ##§¤^†~:..
...:~†^¤§#                                          #§¤^†~:...
....:~†^¤§                                          §¤^†~:....
.....:~†^¤                                          ¤^†~:.....
......:~†^  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?"                 ##§¤^†~:..
.:~†^¤§###                                          ###§¤^†~:.
..:~†^¤§##                                          ##§¤^†~:..
...:~†^¤§#                                          #§¤^†~:...
....:~†^¤§                                          §¤^†~:....
.....:~†^¤                                          ¤^†~:.....