.~«=†§#£##                                          ##£#§†=«~.
....«=§###                                          ###§=«....
....«««†##                                          ##†«««....
.~«=†§#£##                                          ##£#§†=«~.
.~«=†§#£##                                          ##£#§†=«~.
....«==§##  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?"                 ##£#§†=«~.
...««=§§##                                          ##§§=««...
.~«=†§#£##                                          ##£#§†=«~.
.~«=†§#££#                                          #££#§†=«~.
.~«=†§#£##                                          ##£#§†=«~.
....~~=§##                                          ##§=~~....