@#£*^=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=^*£#@
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@@#£*^=-¨¨ ¨¨-=^*£#@@
@#£*^=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=^*£#@
#£*^=-¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨-=^*£#@@
@#£*^=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=^*£#@
#£*^=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=^*£#
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