###,,,,##,                                          ,,##,,#,#,
,,#,,,#,##                                          ,#,#,#####
,##,,###,#                                          #####,,,,#
#,#,#,,##,                                          ,,,,#,,,##
#####,#,##                                          ,,,##,,#,,
,,,,####,#  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?"                 ,,#,,###,,
,#,#,,##,#                                          ,##,#,,#,,
####,#,###                                          #,###,##,,
,,,####,,#                                          ##,,##,#,#
,,#,,,#,##                                          ,#,#,#####
,##,,###,#                                          #####,,,,#