##@#%†;«.¨ ¨.«;†%#@##
###@%†;«.¨ ¨.«;†%@###
@#†«¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨«†#@
##@#%†;«.¨ ¨.«;†%#@##
##††;«««.¨ ¨.«««;††##
##@#%†;«.¨ 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?" ¨.«;†%#@##
##@#%†;«.¨ ¨.«;†%#@##
##@#%†;«.¨ ¨.«;†%#@##
##@#%†;«.¨ ¨.«;†%#@##
##@#%†;«.¨ ¨.«;†%#@##
##†;«.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.«;†##