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§§*\\:¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨:»\*£§¶@@
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@§£**»¨¨¨¨ ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶ ¨¨¨¨»**£§@
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#@¶§£*\»:¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨»*§¶¶
@@¶§£*\»:¨ ¨:»\*£§¶@@
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