@..@.@..@. .@..@...@.
@.@@@@.@@@ @@.@@..@@@
@@...@@..@ .@@.@.@...
.@..@.@.@@ @.@@@@@..@
@@.@@@@@.. @@....@.@@
.@@....@.. 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?" ...@@@...@
@.@@.@@@.. ..@..@..@@
@@.@@..@.. .@@.@@.@..
.@@.@.@@.@ @.@@.@@@.@
@.@@@@.@@@ @@.@@..@@@
@@...@@..@ .@@.@.@...