##@§£$/~,,                                          ,,~/$£§@##
@@£//,,,,,                                          ,,,,,//£@@
##@§£$/~,,                                          ,,~/$£§@##
§§§£///~,,                                          ,,~///£§§§
§£$$/,,,,,                                          ,,,,,/$$£§
§$$/,,,,,,  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ,,,,,,/$$§
##@§£$/~,, along  the  rusty cargo cars  like  some ,,~/$£§@##
##@§£$/~,, species  of  ferrophage  insect.  up and ,,~/$£§@##
@@@§£$/~,, down  the  train, checking bolts, oiling ,,~/$£§@@@
@§£/~,,,,,     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?"                 ,,~///££@#
@£££/,,,,,                                          ,,,,,/£££@
##@§£$/~,,                                          ,,~/$£§@##
@@£/~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~/£@@
§£//~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~//£§
@££/~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~/££@