¨¨.~^^$§##                                          ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###                                          ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                                          ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§#                                          #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                                          ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## along  the rusty  cargo  cars  like some ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# species  of  ferrophage  insect. up  and #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§## down  the  train, checking bolts, oiling ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                cigarettes.               ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§#                                          #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##      ##############################      ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###                                          ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## we were  going south through finland  at ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# the   time,   sleeping  close   to   the #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##  furnace, watching the aurora borealis.  ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###  twenty-something members of the crew,   ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## most  of   which   were   mechanics,  or ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# loaders,  with  large  and  hairy  hands #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§## that could  swallow  my entire body. and ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§### me  featuring  as  the cute  and asocial ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## radio  operator, stationed  in the  back ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§#    of the kilometer-long train, which    #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##         served me good and well.         ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###                                          ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## and  then one night, there's  a missile. ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# we would routinely  pick  up new cars at #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§## the tail, and drop  some off, as  a  way ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§### of  earning  some  extra  money.  but  a ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## missile,  and appearing  silently in the ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# middle   of  the  night   at  that?  not #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##         entirely... comfortable.         ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###                                          ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## i call it  in on the  walkie-talkie. not ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# many  others  awake,  they  know nothing #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§## about it,  and appear concerned as well. ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###                                          ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§##      ##############################      ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§#                                          #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§## when  i  fall awake  in  the  afternoon, ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§### karl  is  there,  smiling  at  me.  "hey ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## boy,"  he  says, "wanna help  me make  a ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§#                  call?"                  #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                                          ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§### after  he's  brought  me coffee, i  dial ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## the  frequency  from his  notebook,  and ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# after   a  while  there's  a   reply  in #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§## pan-slavic.  karl  laughs  and  makes  a ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§### reply  in the same language. even though ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## we both  have headphones i  can't follow ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# at all,  but i hear the word "missile" a #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                few times.                ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###                                          ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## i'm  almost snoozing again at  the  time ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§# karl puts down the headphones and  slaps #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§## me on  my  back. "allright boy.  i  just ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§### sold  a  missile." he practically  beams ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§## at me, teeth  filed sharp. "wanna make a ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§#                 detour?"                 #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                                          ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨.~^^$§###                                          ###§$^^~.¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                                          ##§$^^~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~^^$§#                                          #§$^^~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~^^$§##                                          ##§$^^~.¨¨