,^~/§*§### ###§*§/~^,
,,^~/§*§## ##§*§/~^,,
,,,^~/§*§# #§*§/~^,,,
,,,,^~/§*§ §*§/~^,,,,
,,,,,^~/§* *§/~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~/§ 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?" ##§*§/~^,,
,^~/§*§### ###§*§/~^,
,,^~/§*§## ##§*§/~^,,
,,,^~/§*§# #§*§/~^,,,
,,,,^~/§*§ §*§/~^,,,,
,,,,,^~/§* *§/~^,,,,,