.~«;$%%%¶¶                                          ¶¶%%%$;«~.
.~«;$%&¶##                                          ##¶&%$;«~.
.~«;$%&¶##                                          ##¶&%$;«~.
.~~««$$$&#                                          #&$$$««~~.
....~;%%&#                                          #&%%;~....
.~«;$%&¶##  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ##¶&%$;«~.
....~~«$$& along the  rusty cargo  cars  like  some &$$«~~....
...««;$%&& species  of  ferrophage  insect.  up and &&%$;««...
.~«;$%%%%& down  the  train, checking bolts, oiling &%%%%$;«~.
.~«;$%&¶##     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     ##¶&%$;«~.
......~;%¶                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 #&%%;;««~.
.~«;$%&¶## reply in the same  language. even though ##¶&%$;«~.
.~«;$%&¶## we both  have  headphones i can't follow ##¶&%$;«~.
.~«;$%&### at all, but  i hear the word "missile" a ###&%$;«~.
.~«;$%&¶##                few times.                ##¶&%$;«~.
.~«;$%&¶##                                          ##¶&%$;«~.
..~«««$%&¶ i'm almost  snoozing  again  at the time ¶&%$«««~..
....~;$%&& karl puts down the headphones  and slaps &&%$;~....
.~«;;;$$&& me  on  my back. "allright  boy. i  just &&$$;;;«~.
.~«;$%¶### sold  a  missile." he  practically beams ###¶%$;«~.
.~«;$%&¶## at  me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ##¶&%$;«~.
......~«$&                 detour?"                 &$«~......
.~«;$%&¶##                                          ##¶&%$;«~.
...~«;$%&#                                          #&%$;«~...
......«$$&                                          &$$«......
.....«;%%&                                          &%%;«.....
..~«;;$$%&                                          &%$$;;«~..