#@&%*\:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:\*%&@#
@&%*\:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:\*%&@
&%*\:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:\*%&
%*\:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:\*%
*\:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:\*
\:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
\:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:\
*\:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:\*