£@^/~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~/^@£
@^/~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~/^@
^/~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~/^
/~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~/
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~
/~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~/
^/~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~/^