.^«^^¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤^^«^.
.^«^^¤¤¤¤@ @¤¤¤¤^^«^.
.^«^^¤¤@## ##@¤¤^^«^.
.^«^^¤¤#@# #@#¤¤^^«^.
.^«^^¤¤#@# #@#¤¤^^«^.
.^«^^¤#@## 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?" ¤^^««^^...
.^«««^¤¤## ##¤¤^«««^.
......«^^¤ ¤^^«......
.^«^^¤¤#@# #@#¤¤^^«^.
^«^^¤¤#@## ##@#¤¤^^«^
.^«^^¤¤#@# #@#¤¤^^«^.