###&$%=~~¨ ¨~~=%$##
###&$%=~~¨ ¨~~=%$##
&%%%=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=%%%&
####$%=~~¨ ¨~~=%$####
#&$$$%=~~¨ ¨~~=%$$$
####$%=~~¨ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ¨~~=%$####
&&%%~¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨~~~~~=%&&
#$=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ detour?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=$#
#&%~~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~~%
##&$=~~~¨¨ ¨¨~~~=$#
###&$%=~~¨ ¨~~=%$##
&&&%=~~~¨¨ ¨¨~~~=%&&&
###&$%=~~¨ ¨~~=%$##