,,,,,-~§§@                                          @§§~-,,,,,
,-~~~§§§§@                                          @§§§§~~~-,
,,---*£§@@                                          @@§£*---,,
,-~*§£§@@#                                          #@@§£§*~-,
,,,,,~§£§@                                          @§£§~,,,,,
,,,,,~~*£§  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?"                 @@@§£§*~-,
,~*§£§@@##                                          ##@@§£§*~,
,-~*§£§@@@                                          @@@§£§*~-,
,-~*§£§@@#                                          #@@§£§*~-,
,-~*§£§@@#                                          #@@§£§*~-,
,,,~***££§                                          §££***~,,,