.........~ ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... 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?" #@@£†/»~..
...~»/†£@@ @@£†/»~...
....~»/†£@ @£†/»~....
.....~»/†£ £†/»~.....
......~»/† †/»~......
.......~»/ /»~.......