##¤@*/-^¨¨ ¨¨^-/*@¤##
###¤@*/-^¨ ¨^-/*@¤###
##¤@*/-^¨¨ ¨¨^-/*@¤##
#¤@*/-^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^-/*@¤#
¤@*/-^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^-/*@¤
@*/-^¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨^-/*@¤#
##¤@*/-^¨¨ ¨¨^-/*@¤##
###¤@*/-^¨ ¨^-/*@¤###
##¤@*/-^¨¨ ¨¨^-/*@¤##
#¤@*/-^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^-/*@¤#
¤@*/-^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^-/*@¤