,,,,,~^=*¤                                          ¤*=^~,,,,,
,,,,~^=*¤@                                          @¤*=^~,,,,
,,,~^=*¤@#                                          #@¤*=^~,,,
,,~^=*¤@##                                          ##@¤*=^~,,
,~^=*¤@###                                          ###@¤*=^~,
,,~^=*¤@##  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?"                 ##@¤*=^~,,
,~^=*¤@###                                          ###@¤*=^~,
,,~^=*¤@##                                          ##@¤*=^~,,
,,,~^=*¤@#                                          #@¤*=^~,,,
,,,,~^=*¤@                                          @¤*=^~,,,,
,,,,,~^=*¤                                          ¤*=^~,,,,,