¨.~^^@@¶## ##¶@@^^~.¨
¨.~^^@@@@# #@@@@^^~.¨
¨¨¨¨.^^^@@ @@^^^.¨¨¨¨
¨.~^^@@¶## ##¶@@^^~.¨
¨.~^^@@¶## ##¶@@^^~.¨
¨.~^^@@¶## 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?" ##¶@@^^~.¨
¨¨¨.^^^@@@ @@@^^^.¨¨¨
¨¨..~^@@@@ @@@@^~..¨¨
¨.~^^@@@¶¶ ¶¶@@@^^~.¨
¨.~^^@@¶¶# #¶¶@@^^~.¨
¨.~^^@@¶## ##¶@@^^~.¨