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