##¨¨¨#¨##¨                                          ¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨#
##¨¨##¨¨#¨                                          ¨#¨#¨##¨#¨
¨#¨#¨#¨##¨                                          ¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨#¨#¨##¨#¨
¨#¨#¨#¨##¨                                          ¨#¨#¨¨#¨#¨
##¨#¨¨#¨#¨                    ==                    ##¨¨¨¨####
¨###¨####¨                    ==                    ¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
#¨¨##¨¨¨##                 ¨=  ¨=                   ##¨¨##¨¨¨¨
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨                ==     †,                 ¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨#
#####¨##¨¨            ¨##         =@@@=             ######¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨##¨#¨¨            ,†            ¨#¨             ¨¨¨¨¨#¨###
¨¨¨#¨###¨¨           ¨†@            ¨@=             ¨¨¨¨###¨¨#
¨¨###¨¨#¨#            ¨†@          ,@†              ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
¨#¨¨#¨####               =#=     ##@=               ¨¨##¨###¨#
##¨###¨¨¨¨           =@####=     #@@##†,            ¨#¨##¨¨###
¨##¨¨#¨¨¨¨      ¨=@@#¨                 =@#@@,       ###¨#¨#¨¨¨
#¨#¨##¨¨¨#  ,@#@#,                         =@@@@¨   ¨¨#####¨¨¨
####¨#¨¨##  ¨=†                                †,   ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨¨###¨#¨# †@=                                 †#,  ##¨¨¨##¨#¨
¨¨#¨¨##### @#=                                  ==  ¨#¨¨#¨###¨
¨##¨#¨¨¨¨# @¨                                   ,#† ##¨###¨¨#¨
#¨###¨¨¨#¨ #                   #                  # ¨##¨¨#¨##¨
##¨¨#¨¨### #            @            @            # #¨#¨###¨##
¨#¨##¨#¨¨# #         #         #         #        # ####¨¨##¨¨
###¨###¨## the    train    is   a   dashing   arrow ¨¨¨#¨#¨#¨¨
¨¨##¨¨##¨# over              the               sea. ¨¨######¨#
¨#¨#¨#¨### #         @        ,         @         # ¨#¨¨¨¨¨###
#######¨¨¨ #      @       =       =       @       # ##¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨ #         @        ,         @         # ¨#¨¨¨##¨#¨
¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨ look   closer   -   it's    not   water. ##¨¨#¨###¨
¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨# #       @      ,       ,       @       # ¨#¨###¨¨#¨
¨¨¨####¨## #    =     =     ¨     ¨     =    =    # ###¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨#¨¨¨##¨¨ #       =      ,       ,       =       # ¨¨#¨###¨#¨
¨##¨¨#¨#¨¨ the  lowland which was once the  midriff ¨###¨¨###¨
#¨#¨####¨¨ of  sweden.  the  salt  flats  span  for #¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨
####¨¨¨#¨¨ hundreds of  miles.  from a narrow  line #¨####¨###
¨¨¨#¨¨##¨# of  hills the  train lowers itself  onto ##¨¨¨##¨¨¨
¨¨##¨#¨### the  crystals and shoots  north,  like a ¨#¨¨#¨#¨¨¨
¨#¨####¨¨# syringe       into       a       baloon. ##¨####¨¨¨
###¨¨¨#¨#¨ #     †    ,     ¨     ¨    ,    †     # ¨##¨¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨#¨¨##### #   =   ,   ¨   ¨   ¨    ¨    ,    =   # #¨#¨¨##¨¨#
¨##¨#¨¨¨¨¨ #     †     ,    ¨     ¨    ,    †     # ###¨#¨#¨##
#¨###¨¨¨¨# #   =   ,   ¨   ¨    ¨    ¨    ,   =   # ¨¨######¨#
##¨¨#¨¨¨## #     †    ,     ¨     ¨     ,    †    # ¨#¨¨¨¨¨##¨
¨#¨##¨¨#¨¨ they  call it  the  "mandelbrot crater", ##¨¨¨¨#¨##
###¨#¨##¨# and it is the rest of a mining disaster. ¨#¨¨¨###¨#
¨¨####¨##¨ #       =       ,       ,       =      # ##¨¨#¨¨##¨
¨#¨¨¨##¨#¨ #      =      =     ¨     =     =      # ¨#¨##¨#¨#¨
##¨¨#¨###¨ #      @       ,       ,       @       # ###¨#####¨
¨#¨###¨¨## sun  hits  the four-railed track, as  it ¨¨##¨¨¨¨##
###¨¨#¨#¨¨ fractures into villages  or  past  them. ¨#¨#¨¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨####¨¨ the  people  here  are  pale but  crisp, ####¨¨###¨
¨###¨¨¨#¨# reflections   of    some   other   world ¨¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨
#¨¨#¨¨#### #         @         ,        @         # ¨¨####¨##¨
#¨##¨#¨¨¨# #      @       =       =       @       # ¨#¨¨¨##¨##
##¨###¨¨## #        @         ,         @         # ##¨¨#¨##¨¨
¨##¨¨#¨#¨# they always seem a  bit annoyed that you ¨#¨###¨#¨#
#¨#¨#####¨ are  manifesting   them   into  physical ###¨¨#####
####¨¨¨¨## form.  like  if you  weren't here,  they ¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨ would  be  nothing  more  than  the  sun ¨####¨¨¨¨#
¨¨##¨¨##¨# against           the           platform #¨¨¨#¨¨¨##
¨#¨#¨#¨### #         #        #         #         # #¨¨##¨¨#¨#
#######¨¨# #            @            @            # #¨#¨#¨####
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨## #                   #                  # ######¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨ #@,                                   ¨@ ¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨¨ ¨@=                                  =## ¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨##¨##¨¨  =#†                                 =#@ ¨¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨#¨#   =@                                †#=  ¨¨####¨¨¨¨
¨###¨####¨   =@###=                         ,@#@@=  ¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
#¨¨##¨¨¨##       =@#@#=                 ¨@###=      ##¨¨##¨¨¨¨
#¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨          ¨=†##@###     =#@###†,          ¨#¨#¨#¨¨¨#
#####¨##¨¨              ¨####     =#@¨              ######¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨##¨#¨¨             ,@#,          #@=            ¨¨¨¨¨#¨###
¨¨¨#¨###¨¨            ,@#¨            ##=           ¨¨¨¨###¨¨#
¨¨###¨¨#¨#            ¨@#¨            @=            ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
¨#¨¨#¨####            ,@#@#†         #@=            ¨¨##¨###¨#
##¨###¨¨¨¨                ,#@     =@=               ¨#¨##¨¨###
¨##¨¨#¨¨¨¨                  ¨†¨  †,                 ###¨#¨#¨¨¨
#¨#¨##¨¨¨#                    =#=                   ¨¨#####¨¨¨
####¨#¨¨##                    =†                    ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨¨###¨#¨#                                          ##¨¨¨##¨#¨
¨¨#¨¨#####                                          ¨#¨¨#¨###¨
¨##¨#¨¨¨¨#                                          ##¨###¨¨#¨
#¨###¨¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨¨#¨##¨
##¨¨#¨¨###                                          #¨#¨###¨##