#£*»¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨»*£#
#@#££*\»:¨ ¨:»\*££#@#
###££*\»:¨ ¨:»\*££###
£**\:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:\**£
££**»»¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨»»**££
#££\\»:¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»*£
#£££\\»¨¨¨ ¨¨¨»\\£££#
#£*»:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:»*£#
##@#££*\»¨ ¨»\*££#@##
@##££*\»:¨ ¨:»\*££##@
£££\\:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:\\£££