*^«:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:«^*
%*^«:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:«^*%
¤%*^«:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:«^*%¤
#¤%*^«:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:«^*%¤#
##¤%*^«:¨¨ ¨¨:«^*%¤##
###¤%*^«:¨ 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?" ¨¨¨:«^*%¤#
##¤%*^«:¨¨ ¨¨:«^*%¤##
###¤%*^«:¨ ¨:«^*%¤###
##¤%*^«:¨¨ ¨¨:«^*%¤##
#¤%*^«:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:«^*%¤#
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