@@@****»,¨ ¨,»****@@@
#@#@@**»,¨ ¨,»**@@#@#
##@#@**»,¨ ¨,»**@#@##
###@*»¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨»*@###
##@#@**»,¨ ¨,»**@#@##
#@@**»¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨,»**@@@@#
##@#@**»,¨ ¨,»**@#@##
##@#@**»,¨ ¨,»**@#@##
###**»¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨»**###
##@#@**»,¨ ¨,»**@#@##
#****»»»,¨ ¨,»»»****#