#&&^/«-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-«/^&&#
&&^/«-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-«/^&&
#&&^/«-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-«/^&&#
##&&^/«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«/^&&##
###&&^/«-¨                                          ¨-«/^&&###
##&&^/«-¨¨  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?"                 ¨¨-«/^&&##
#&&^/«-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-«/^&&#
&&^/«-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-«/^&&
#&&^/«-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-«/^&&#
##&&^/«-¨¨                                          ¨¨-«/^&&##
###&&^/«-¨                                          ¨-«/^&&###