.,«†*$£@@@                                          @@@£$*†«,.
....«***££                                          ££***«....
.,«†*$£@@@                                          @@@£$*†«,.
......«*££                                          ££*«......
...,,«««*£                                          £*«««,,...
.,«†*$£@@@  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  @@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£££@ along  the  rusty cargo cars  like  some @£££$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@# species  of  ferrophage  insect. up  and #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@# down  the train, checking bolts,  oiling #@@£$*†«,.
.....,†$@@     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     @@$†,.....
.,«†*$£@@#               cigarettes.                #@@£$*†«,.
.,««†**$@@                                          @@$**†««,.
.,«†*$£@@#      @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@      #@@£$*†«,.
...,«†*£@@                                          @@£*†«,...
....,«†$@@ we were going  south  through finland at @@$†«,....
.,«†*$£@@# the   time,   sleeping   close   to  the #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@#  furnace, watching the aurora borealis.  #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$$$£@  twenty-something members of the crew,   @£$$$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@## most   of  which   were   mechanics,  or ##@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$$££@ loaders,  with  large  and  hairy  hands @££$$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@@ that could swallow  my  entire body. and @@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@## me  featuring  as  the cute and  asocial ##@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@# radio  operator, stationed  in  the back #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@##    of the kilometer-long train, which    ##@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@@         served me good and well.         @@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@#                                          #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@# and  then one night,  there's a missile. #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@## we would routinely  pick  up new cars at ##@£$*†«,.
...,«**$$£ the  tail, and  drop some off, as a  way £$$**«,...
.,«†*$£@@# of  earning  some  extra  money.  but  a #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†**$$@@ missile, and appearing  silently  in the @@$$**†«,.
......,†*£ 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. £*†,......
.,«†*$£@@@                                          @@@£$*†«,.
......,†$£      @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@      £$†,......
.,«†*$£@@#                                          #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@# when  i  fall  awake in  the  afternoon, #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†$£@@## karl  is  there,  smiling  at  me.  "hey ##@@£$†«,.
..,,«**$$@ boy," he  says,  "wanna help me  make  a @$$**«,,..
.,«†*$£@##                  call?"                  ##@£$*†«,.
.......«*£                                          £*«.......
....«††$££ after he's  brought me  coffee,  i  dial ££$††«....
.,«†*$£@@@ the  frequency from  his  notebook,  and @@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@@ after   a  while  there's  a  reply   in @@@£$*†«,.
.,«††***$£ pan-slavic.  karl  laughs  and  makes  a £$***††«,.
...,,†$£££ reply in the same language. even  though £££$†,,...
.,«†*$£@@@ we  both have headphones i  can't follow @@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@@ at  all, but i hear the word "missile" a @@@£$*†«,.
.,«*$£@@##                few times.                ##@@£$*«,.
.....«*$$@                                          @$$*«.....
.,«†*$£@@# i'm  almost  snoozing  again at the time #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@# karl puts down  the headphones and slaps #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@## me  on my  back. "allright  boy.  i just ##@£$*†«,.
......,†$£ sold a  missile." he  practically  beams £$†,......
.,«†*$£@@# at  me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†*$$££@                 detour?"                 @££$$*†«,.
.,«†*$£@@#                                          #@@£$*†«,.
.,«†††**$@                                          @$**†††«,.
..,,,,†$@@                                          @@$†,,,,..
.....,†$£@                                          @£$†,.....
.,«†*$£@@#                                          #@@£$*†«,.