#***^~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~^***#
#@¶#**^~,¨                                          ¨,~^**#¶@#
@#*^~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~^*#@
@@¶#**^~,¨                                          ¨,~^**#¶@@
#*^^~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~^^*#
#***^^~¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨,~^**#¶@#
##@¶#**^~¨                                          ¨~^**#¶@##
@@¶#**^~,¨                                          ¨,~^**#¶@@
#@¶#**^~,¨                                          ¨,~^**#¶@#
#@¶#**^~,¨                                          ¨,~^**#¶@#
¶*^^~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~^^*¶