@£^;~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~;^£@
#@££^^;~,,                                          ,,~;^^££@#
#££^;~~~,,                                          ,,~~~;^££#
###@£^;~,,                                          ,,~;^£@###
@£^;,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,;^£@
##@££^;~,,  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?"                 ,,,,~~~;^£
£££££^;~,,                                          ,,~;^£££££
@£^;;;~,,,                                          ,,,~;;;^£@
£££^^;~,,,                                          ,,,~;^^£££
#@££;~,,,,                                          ,,,,~;££@#
##@££^;~,,                                          ,,~;^££@##