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