,,,~~=%*£# #£*%=~~,,,
,,,,~~=%*£ £*%=~~,,,,
,,,~~=%*£# #£*%=~~,,,
,,~~=%*£#@ @#£*%=~~,,
,~~=%*£#@# #@#£*%=~~,
,,~~=%*£#@ 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?" @#£*%=~~,,
,,,~~=%*£# #£*%=~~,,,
,,,,~~=%*£ £*%=~~,,,,
,,,~~=%*£# #£*%=~~,,,
,,~~=%*£#@ @#£*%=~~,,
,~~=%*£#@# #@#£*%=~~,