#§$*~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~*$§#
§$*~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~*$§
#$$$*\\~~¨                                          ¨~~\\*$$$#
@@#§$*\~~¨                                          ¨~~\*$§#@@
@#$*\\~~~¨                                          ¨~~~\\*$#@
@#$\~¨¨¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨~~\****§@
#@#§$*\~~¨                                          ¨~~\*$§#@#
#@#§$*\~~¨                                          ¨~~\*$§#@#
§§$\~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~\$§§
§§§§$*\~~¨                                          ¨~~\*$§§§§
#$$$\~~~~¨                                          ¨~~~~\$$$#