.-~=†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶&&†=~-.
...-~===†&                                          &†===~-...
.-~=†&&¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶¶#  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?"                 &&&&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†=~-.
.....~†††&                                          &†††~.....
.-~=†&&&&¶                                          ¶&&&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&###                                          ###&&†=~-.