#&/:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:/
@@@#&*/~:¨ ¨:~/*@@@
#@@#&*/~:¨ ¨:~/*@@#
#@@#&*/~:¨ ¨:~/*@@#
##@#&*/~:¨ ¨:~/*@##
@&/:¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨:://&@
@#&&&*/~:¨ ¨:~/*&&@
@#*~~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~~*#@
#@@#&*/~:¨ ¨:~/*@@#
@@#&/~~:¨¨ ¨¨:~~/@@
@#&**/~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~/**@