#....#.#..                                          .#..#.##..
##...####.                                          .##.###.#.
#.#..#...#                                          ##.##..###
.###.##..#                                          #.##.#.#..
.#..##.#.#                                          .##.#####.
.......##.                    --                    ##......#.
######....                    =-                    #..####...
.####..###                 .=  .=                   ....##..#.
..##....##                --     *-                 .##.......
#....##..#            .##         =###=             ....######
..##......            -*            .#.             .##..#####
.....####.           .*%            .#=             ......###.
####..##..            .*%          -#*              #####..#..
.##.......               -#=     ##%-               ####......
....######           -%###@=     #####*-            ###..#####
.##..####.      .-%%#.                 -##%%-       ##....###.
......##..  -%#%#-                         =#%%%.   #..##..#..
#####.....  .=*                                *-   .........#
####..#### *#-                                 *#-  ########..
.##....##. #@-                                  -=  #######...
....##.... #.                                   -#* ######..##
.##....##. #                  #                   # #####.....
....##.... #            #            #            # .###..####
.##....### #        @         #         @         # ..#....##.
....##..## 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 ##..######
#.....#### #        @         #         @         # .....#####
..###..##. #            #            #            # ####..####
...#...... #                   #                  # .##....##.
##...####. ##-                                   .# ....##....
...#..##.. .%-                                  -## ###....##.
##.......#  =@*                                 -## ##..##....
...#####..   =%                                *@=  .......##.
##..###...   -###@=                         -####=  ######....
.....#..##       =###@-                 .####=      #####..##.
####.....#          .-*###@@#     =@####*-          ####......
.##..###..              .#@@#     =@%.              .##..####.
......#...             -#@-          ##-            ......##..
#####...##            -#@.            #@-           #####....#
####..#..#            .%@.            %-            ####..##..
.##.......            -#@#@*         ##-            ###.......
....#####.                -#%     =%-               ##..######
.##..###..                  .*.  *-                 #....####.
......#..#                    =#=                   ..##..##..
#####.....                    =*                    .........#
####..###.                                          ########..
.##....#..                                          #######...
....##...#                                          ######..##
.##....#..                                          #####.....
....##....                                          .###..####