####§$/~,¨                                          ¨,~/$§####
##$~~~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~~~$##
#§§////~,¨                                          ¨,~////§§#
#$~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~$#
####§$/~,¨                                          ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ along  the rusty  cargo  cars  like some ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ species  of  ferrophage insect.  up  and ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ down  the train, checking  bolts, oiling ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     ¨,~/$§####
##§$~,¨¨¨¨               cigarettes.                ¨¨¨¨,~$§##
#§///,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,///§#
##$$~¨¨¨¨¨      ##############################      ¨¨¨¨¨~$$##
###§§$/~,¨                                          ¨,~/$§§###
##§§§$/~,¨ we were going  south  through finland at ¨,~/$§§§##
####§$/~,¨ the   time,   sleeping   close  to   the ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨  furnace, watching the aurora borealis.  ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨   twenty-something members of the crew,  ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ most   of   which  were  mechanics,   or ¨,~/$§####
##§§§$/~,¨ loaders,  with  large  and  hairy  hands ¨,~/$§§§##
####§$/~,¨ that  could swallow my entire  body. and ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ me  featuring  as  the cute  and asocial ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ radio operator, stationed  in  the  back ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨    of the kilometer-long train, which    ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨         served me good and well.         ¨,~/$§####
###§/~~~,¨                                          ¨,~~~/§###
####§$/~,¨ and then one night, there's  a  missile. ¨,~/$§####
###$$/~,,¨ we would routinely  pick  up new cars at ¨,,~/$$###
####§$/~,¨ the tail, and  drop some off,  as  a way ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ of  earning  some  extra  money.  but  a ¨,~/$§####
###§/,¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨,/§###
####§$/~,¨ reply in the same  language. even though ¨,~/$§####
#$/~,,,¨¨¨ we both have  headphones  i can't follow ¨¨¨,,,~/$#
##$$/,¨¨¨¨ at all,  but i hear the word "missile" a ¨¨¨¨,/$$##
##§§$~~,¨¨                few times.                ¨¨,~~$§§##
#§/~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~/§#
####§$/~,¨ i'm almost snoozing  again  at  the time ¨,~/$§####
#§§§$$/~,¨ karl puts down the  headphones and slaps ¨,~/$$§§§#
#§§§§$/~,¨ me on  my back.  "allright  boy.  i just ¨,~/$§§§§#
####§$/~,¨ sold  a missile." he  practically  beams ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make  a ¨,~/$§####
####§$/~,¨                 detour?"                 ¨,~/$§####
##§§//,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,//§§##
##$/~,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,~/$##
##§/,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,/§##
##§$~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~$§##
#####§/~,¨                                          ¨,~/§#####