###$$/»:¨¨ ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ along the rusty cargo cars like some ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ species of ferrophage insect. up and ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ down the train, checking bolts, oiling ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ joints, drinking coffee, smoking ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ cigarettes. ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ ############################## ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ we were going south through finland at ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ the time, sleeping close to the ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ furnace, watching the aurora borealis. ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ twenty-something members of the crew, ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ most of which were mechanics, or ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ loaders, with large and hairy hands ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ that could swallow my entire body. and ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ me featuring as the cute and asocial ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ radio operator, stationed in the back ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ of the kilometer-long train, which ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ served me good and well. ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ and then one night, there's a missile. ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ we would routinely pick up new cars at ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ the tail, and drop some off, as a way ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ of earning some extra money. but a ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ missile, and appearing silently in the ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ middle of the night at that? not ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ entirely... comfortable. ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ i call it in on the walkie-talkie. not ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ many others awake, they know nothing ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ about it, and appear concerned as well. ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ ############################## ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ when i fall awake in the afternoon, ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ karl is there, smiling at me. "hey ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ boy," he says, "wanna help me make a ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ call?" ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ after he's brought me coffee, i dial ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ the frequency from his notebook, and ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ after a while there's a reply in ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ pan-slavic. karl laughs and makes a ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ reply in the same language. even though ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ we both have headphones i can't follow ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ at all, but i hear the word "missile" a ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ few times. ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ i'm almost snoozing again at the time ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ karl puts down the headphones and slaps ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ me on my back. "allright boy. i just ¨¨:»/$$###
####$$/»:¨ sold a missile." he practically beams ¨:»/$$####
###$$/»:¨¨ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ¨¨:»/$$###
##$$/»:¨¨¨ detour?" ¨¨¨:»/$$##
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
$$/»:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:»/$$
#$$/»:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:»/$$#
##$$/»:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:»/$$##
###$$/»:¨¨ ¨¨:»/$$###