,~~*%£@### ###@£%*~~,
,~~*%£@### ###@£%*~~,
,,,,,~~%@# #@%~~,,,,,
,~~*%£££## ##£££%*~~,
,~~*%£@### ###@£%*~~,
,,,,,,,~%@ 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?" @@%~~,,,,,
,~~*%£@### ###@£%*~~,
,,,~~*££## ##££*~~,,,
,,,~*%%@## ##@%%*~,,,
,~~*%£#### ####£%*~~,
,~~*%£@@@@ @@@@£%*~~,