@#£@%--,,, ,,,--%@£#@
#@#£@%--,, ,,--%@£#@#
##@#£@%--, ,--%@£#@##
#@#£@%--,, ,,--%@£#@#
@#£@%--,,, ,,,--%@£#@
#£@%--,,,, 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?" ,,,,--%@£#
@#£@%--,,, ,,,--%@£#@
#@#£@%--,, ,,--%@£#@#
##@#£@%--, ,--%@£#@##
#@#£@%--,, ,,--%@£#@#
@#£@%--,,, ,,,--%@£#@