,.«:*$¤£@#                                          #@£¤$*:«.,
,.«:*$¤£@@                                          @@£¤$*:«.,
,.«:*¤£@##                                          ##@£¤*:«.,
,.«:*$¤£@@                                          @@£¤$*:«.,
,.«:*$¤£@#                                          #@£¤$*:«.,
,.«:*$¤£@#  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  #@£¤$*:«.,
,.«*$¤£@## along  the  rusty cargo cars  like  some ##@£¤$*«.,
,.«:*$¤£@@ species  of ferrophage  insect.  up  and @@£¤$*:«.,
.«:*$¤£@## down  the train, checking  bolts, oiling ##@£¤$*:«.
,.«:*$¤£@#     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     #@£¤$*:«.,
,.«:*$¤£@#                cigarettes.               #@£¤$*:«.,
,,,,,,.:*¤                                          ¤*:.,,,,,,
,,,,,,.:$£      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      £$:.,,,,,,
,,,««::*¤@                                          @¤*::««,,,
,.«:*$¤£@@ we  were going south through finland  at @@£¤$*:«.,
,,,,..«*$£ the   time,   sleeping   close  to   the £$*«..,,,,
,.«*$¤£@##  furnace, watching the aurora borealis.  ##@£¤$*«.,
,.«:**$$¤£  twenty-something members of the crew,   £¤$$**:«.,
,.«:*$¤@## most   of  which   were   mechanics,  or ##@¤$*:«.,
,,,,,.:$¤@ loaders,  with  large  and  hairy  hands @¤$:.,,,,,
,.«:*$¤@## that  could swallow my entire  body. and ##@¤$*:«.,
,.«:*$$$¤£ me featuring  as  the  cute and  asocial £¤$$$*:«.,
,,,,,,.:*¤ 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 ¤*«,,,,,,,
,,,,.::$¤¤ me on  my back.  "allright boy.  i  just ¤¤$::.,,,,
,.«:*$¤£@# sold  a  missile."  he practically beams #@£¤$*:«.,
,.«:*$¤££@ at me, teeth filed sharp.  "wanna make a @££¤$*:«.,
,.«:*$£@##                 detour?"                 ##@£$*:«.,
,.«:*$¤£@@                                          @@£¤$*:«.,
,,,,.:**$¤                                          ¤$**:.,,,,
,.«:*$¤£@@                                          @@£¤$*:«.,
,,,.:*$$¤@                                          @¤$$*:.,,,
,.«:*$¤£@#                                          #@£¤$*:«.,