&,,,,,&,,,                                          ,,,,,&&&&&
,,&&&,,,&&                                          &&&&,,&&&&
,,,&,,&,,&                                          &&&,,,,&&,
&&,,,,,,,,                                          &&,,&&,,,,
,,,&&&&&&,                                          &,,,,,,&&,
&&,,&&&&,,  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?"                 &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&&                                          &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&&                                          &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&&                                          &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&&                                          &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&&                                          &&&&&&&&&&