,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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?" ,,,,,.~/†¤
£¤†/~.,,,, ,,,,.~/†¤£
@£¤†/~.,,, ,,,.~/†¤£@
#@£¤†/~.,, ,,.~/†¤£@#
##@£¤†/~., ,.~/†¤£@##
#@£¤†/~.,, ,,.~/†¤£@#