,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,&&&,,,
&&&&&&&&&,                                          &&&,,&,,&&
&&&&&&&&,,                                          ,&,,,,,,,&
&&&&&&&,,,                                          ,,,&&&&&,,
,&&&&&,,&&                                          &&,,&&&,,,
,&&,,&&&,,                    ~~                    ,,,,,,,,,&
,,&,&,&&,&                    =~                    ,,,,,,,,&&
,&&,&,,&,&                 ,=  ,=                   ,,,,,,,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&                ~~     %,                 ,,,,,,&&,&
,&&,&,,&,&            ,&&         =###=             ,,,,,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&            ,%            ,&,             ,,,,&&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&           ,%%            ,#=             ,,,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&            ,%%          ,#%              ,,&&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&               ~&=     &&%~               ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&           ~%&&&#=     &##&&%,            ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&      ,~%%&,                 ~#&%%,       ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&  ,%&%&,                         =#%%%,   ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&  ,=%                                %,   ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,& %#~                                 %&,  ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,& ##~                                  ~=  ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,& #,                                   ,&% ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,& #                  #                   # ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,& #            #            #            # ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,& #         #         &         #        # ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,& 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 ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,& #         #         &        #         # ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,& #            #            #            # ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,& #                  #                   # ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,& &#,                                   ,# ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,& ,%~                                  ~## ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&  =#%                                 ~## ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&   =%                                %#=  ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&   ~#&&#=                         ,#&##=  ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&       =#&##~                 ,#&&&=      ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&          ,~%&&###&     =##&&&%,          ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&              ,&##&     =#%,              ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&             ,##,          &#~            ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&            ,##,            &#~           ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&            ,%#,            %~            ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&            ,####%         &#~            ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&                ,&%     =%~               ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&                  ,%,  %,                 ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&                    =&=                   ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&                    =%                    ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,&,&,&,&
,&&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&,&,&,&
,,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,&,&,&,&