¨,,,«/$$@#                                          #@$$/«,,,¨
¨«/*$@#@##                                          ##@#@$*/«¨
¨,«/*$@#@#                                          #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,«*@@                                          @@*«,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨,,««*$##                                          ##$*««,,¨¨
¨,«/*$@###  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ###@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨«/$## along  the rusty  cargo  cars like  some ##$/«¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@# species  of  ferrophage  insect. up  and #@#@$*/«,¨
¨,«/*$@#@# down  the  train, checking bolts, oiling #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,/$@#@     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     @#@$/,¨¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@##@                cigarettes.               @##@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨,,«**@#                                          #@**«,,¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@#      ##############################      #@#@$*/«,¨
¨,«/*$@#@@                                          @@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,/*$@@ we were going south  through finland  at @@$*/,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«/*@# 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 @#@*«««,¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@#                 detour?"                 #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,/$@                                          @$/,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@#                                          #@#@$*/«,¨
¨,«/*$@#@#                                          #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,/$##                                          ##$/,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«*$#                                          #$*«,¨¨¨¨¨