..@@..@..@ ...@@.@@@.
.@.@.@@.@. ..@.@@..@.
@@@@@.@@@@ .@@@.@.@@.
....@@...@ @..@@@@.@@
...@.@..@@ @.@...@@.@
..@@@@.@.. 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?" ..@@...@@@
@@@@....@. .@.@..@..@
...@...@@@ @@@@.@@.@.
..@@..@..@ ...@@.@@@.
.@.@.@@.@. ..@.@@..@.
@@@@@.@@@@ .@@@.@.@@.