,,,&,&,&,,                                          &&&&,&,&,&
,,&&&&&&,,                                          ,,,&&&&&&&
,&,,,,,&,&                                          ,,&,,,,,,&
&&,,,,&&&,                                          ,&&,,,,,&&
,&,,,&,,&,                                          &,&,,,,&,,
&,&,&,,&,,                    ==                    ,,&&,,,,,&
&,&,&,&&,,                    ^=                    ,&,&,,,,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                 ,^  ,^                   ,&,&,,,&&,
&,&,&,&&,&                ==     ^.                 ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&            ,&&         ^@@@^             ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&            .^            ,&,             ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&           ,^$            ,@^             ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&            ,^$          .@^              ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&               =&^     &&$=               ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&           =$&&&#^     &@@&&^.            ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&      ,=$$&,                 =@&$$.       ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&  .$&$&.                         ^@$$$,   ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&  ,^^                                ^.   ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& ^@=                                 ^&.  ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& @#=                                  =^  ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& @,                                   .&^ ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& #                  #                   # ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& #            @            @            # ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& #         #        &         #         # ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& 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 ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& #         #        &         #         # ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& #            @            @            # ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& #                   #                  # ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,& &@.                                   ,@ ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,& ,$=                                  =## ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&  ^#^                                 =#@ ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&   ^$                                ^#^  ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&   =@&&#^                         .@&@@^  ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&       ^@&@#=                 ,@&&&^      ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&          ,=^&&@##&     ^#@&&&^.          ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&              ,&##&     ^#$,              ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&             .@#.          &@=            ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&            .@#,            &#=           ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&            ,$#,            $=            ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&            .@#@#^         &@=            ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                .&$     ^$=               ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                  ,^,  ^.                 ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                    ^&^                   ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                    ^^                    ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,&,,&,&,
&,&,&,,&,&                                          ,&,&,&&,&,
&,&,&,&&,&                                          ,&,&,,&,&,