#¤£%:~-... ...-~:%£¤#
##¤£%:~-.. ..-~:%£¤##
###¤£%:~-. .-~:%£¤###
##¤£%:~-.. ..-~:%£¤##
#¤£%:~-... ...-~:%£¤#
¤£%:~-.... 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?" ....-~:%£¤
£%:~-..... .....-~:%£
%:~-...... ......-~:%
:~-....... .......-~:
~-........ ........-~
-......... .........-