#¨¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ##¨#¨#¨#¨¨
##¨¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          #¨#######¨
#¨#¨¨##¨##                                          ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨###¨#¨##¨                                          ##¨#¨¨¨¨¨#
##¨¨####¨#                                          #¨###¨¨¨¨#
¨¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨                    ~~                    ##¨¨¨###¨#
#¨¨####¨##                    †~                    ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨##
¨#¨#¨¨¨##¨                 ¨†  ¨†                   ¨¨##¨##¨#¨
¨####¨¨#¨#                ~~     *,                 #¨#¨##¨###
##¨¨¨#¨###            ¨##         †@@@†             #####¨##¨¨
#¨#¨¨###¨¨            ,*            ¨#¨             ¨¨¨¨¨##¨#¨
####¨#¨¨#¨           ¨*§            ¨@†             #¨¨¨¨#¨###
¨¨¨¨###¨##            ¨*§          ,@*              ##¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨##¨               ~#†     ##§~               ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨##¨#¨#           ~§###@†     #@@##*,            ¨¨##¨##¨##
#¨¨¨#¨####      ¨~§§#¨                 ~@#§§,       ¨¨#¨##¨##¨
##¨¨###¨¨¨  ,§#§#,                         †@§§§¨   #¨###¨##¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨  ¨†*                                *,   ¨##¨¨##¨##
#¨####¨##¨ *@~                                 *#,  ##¨#¨#¨##¨
###¨¨¨##¨# @@~                                  ~†  ¨¨######¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨#¨## @¨                                   ,#* #¨#¨¨¨¨¨##
#¨¨##¨###¨ #                  #                   # ####¨¨¨¨#¨
##¨#¨##¨¨# #            @            @            # ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨##
¨¨####¨#¨# #         @         #        @         # #¨¨¨##¨¨#¨
¨¨#¨¨¨#### 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 ¨#¨¨#####¨
####¨¨¨¨¨# #        @         #         @         # ###¨#¨¨¨¨#
¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨# #            @            @            # #¨¨###¨¨¨#
#¨¨¨##¨¨¨# #                   #                  # ¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨#
¨#¨¨#¨#¨¨# #@,                                   ¨@ #####¨##¨#
###¨####¨# ¨§~                                  ~## ¨¨¨¨¨##¨##
¨¨¨##¨¨¨##  †@*                                 ~#@ #¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨   †§                                *@†  ##¨¨¨###¨#
#¨¨####¨##   ~@##@†                         ,@#@@†  ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨##
¨#¨#¨¨¨##¨       †@#@@~                 ¨@###†      ¨¨##¨##¨#¨
¨####¨¨#¨#          ¨~*##@@@#     †@@###*,          #¨#¨##¨###
##¨¨¨#¨###              ¨#@@#     †@§¨              #####¨##¨¨
#¨#¨¨###¨¨             ,@@,          #@~            ¨¨¨¨¨##¨#¨
####¨#¨¨#¨            ,@@¨            #@~           #¨¨¨¨#¨###
¨¨¨¨###¨##            ¨§@¨            §~            ##¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨##¨            ,@@@@*         #@~            ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨##¨#¨#                ,#§     †§~               ¨¨##¨##¨##
#¨¨¨#¨####                  ¨*¨  *,                 ¨¨#¨##¨##¨
##¨¨###¨¨¨                    †#†                   #¨###¨##¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨                    †*                    ¨##¨¨##¨##
#¨####¨##¨                                          ##¨#¨#¨##¨
###¨¨¨##¨#                                          ¨¨######¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##                                          #¨#¨¨¨¨¨##
#¨¨##¨###¨                                          ####¨¨¨¨#¨
##¨#¨##¨¨#                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨##