#¶%%%=^=:¨                                          ¨:=^=%%%¶#
##¶§%=^=:¨                                          ¨:=^=%§¶##
#§%==¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨==%§#
##¶§%=^=:¨                                          ¨:=^=%§¶##
§%====¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨====%§
##¶§%=^=:¨  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?"                 ¨:=^=%§¶##
¶§§%^:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:^%§§¶
##¶§%=^=:¨                                          ¨:=^=%§¶##
#§%^:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:^%§#
#§==¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨==§#
###¶§%=^=¨                                          ¨=^=%§¶###