,,~;%@¤@## ##@¤@%;~,,
,,~;%@¤@## ##@¤@%;~,,
,,,,;;;%¤¤ ¤¤%;;;,,,,
,,~;%@¤¤¤@ @¤¤¤@%;~,,
,,,,,,,;@¤ ¤@;,,,,,,,
,,~;%@¤¤@@ 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?" @¤¤%%;~,,,
,,~;%%@¤@# #@¤@%%;~,,
,,,,,,~;@¤ ¤@;~,,,,,,
,,~~~;;@¤@ @¤@;;~~~,,
,,,,;;@@@@ @@@@;;,,,,
,,~;%@¤@## ##@¤@%;~,,