,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
~~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~~
*~~,,,,,,, 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?" ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
~~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~~