,,,@,@,,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,,
,,@@,@,@@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,,
,@,@,@,,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,,
@@,@,@,@@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,,
,@,@,@,,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,@
,@,@,@,@@,  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?"                 ,@,@,@,@,@
,@,@,@,,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,@
,@,@,@,@@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,@
,@,@,@,,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,@
,@,@,@,@@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,@
,@,@,@,,@,                                          ,@,@,@,@,@