,,,,.~:^$@                                          @$^:~.,,,,
,,,,,.~:^$                                          $^:~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~:^                                          ^:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~:^$                                          $^:~.,,,,,
,,,,.~:^$@                                          @$^:~.,,,,
,,,.~:^$@#  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?"                 #@$^:~.,,,
,,,,.~:^$@                                          @$^:~.,,,,
,,,,,.~:^$                                          $^:~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~:^                                          ^:~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~:^$                                          $^:~.,,,,,
,,,,.~:^$@                                          @$^:~.,,,,