¨,-;%$@@##                                          ##@@$%;-,¨
¨¨¨,--%%%@                                          @%%%--,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,;%%@                                          @%%;,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-;%$$$@#                                          #@$$$%;-,¨
¨,-;%$@@##                                          ##@@$%;-,¨
¨,-;%%$$$@  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  @$$$%%;-,¨
¨,-;%$@@## along  the  rusty cargo  cars  like some ##@@$%;-,¨
¨,-;%%$$@# species of  ferrophage  insect.  up  and #@$$%%;-,¨
¨,-;%$@@## down the  train, checking bolts,  oiling ##@@$%;-,¨
¨,-;%$@@##     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     ##@@$%;-,¨
¨¨¨¨-%%@@#                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?"                 #@@%;-,,,¨
¨¨¨,,,;%$@                                          @$%;,,,¨¨¨
¨,,,;%%$@#                                          #@$%%;,,,¨
¨,-;%$@@##                                          ##@@$%;-,¨
¨,-;%$@@##                                          ##@@$%;-,¨
¨¨¨¨---%@@                                          @@%---¨¨¨¨