##%%*~^... ...^~*%%##
#%%*~^.... ....^~*%%#
%%*~^..... .....^~*%%
%*~^...... ......^~*%
*~^....... .......^~*
~^........ ######################################## ........^~
*~^....... # autonomous railmakers will notice # .......^~*
%*~^...... # wildlife in their path and stop, # ......^~*%
%%*~^..... ######################################## .....^~*%%
#%%*~^.... sound a horn, nudge the animal a ....^~*%%#
##%%*~^... little, but ultimately wait it out. ...^~*%%##
###%%*~^.. although they will log video, no call ..^~*%%###
####%%*~^. will be made for any outside .^~*%%####
###%%*~^.. assistance. this is very good. ..^~*%%###
##%%*~^... ...^~*%%##
#%%*~^.... the railmakers are siemens-manufactured ....^~*%%#
%%*~^..... brick-like things. fields of gray and .....^~*%%
%*~^...... teal, floodlights, thrumming and ......^~*%
*~^....... hissing. trilling to each other, like .......^~*
~^........ language. and here, three of them, ........^~
*~^....... slowly making their way through the .......^~*
%*~^...... dense forest. ......^~*%
%%*~^..... .....^~*%%
#%%*~^.... i'm coming up on them from behind and ....^~*%%#
##%%*~^... to the left, hidden behind the thick ...^~*%%##
###%%*~^.. foliage. their light finds the gaps ..^~*%%###
####%%*~^. between the leaves, casting rays .^~*%%####
###%%*~^.. through the wet air, playing over my ..^~*%%###
##%%*~^... face and arms, and my weapon. i quickly ...^~*%%##
#%%*~^.... overtake them, crouch in the ditch made ....^~*%%#
%%*~^..... by the preprocessor, and watch. one of .....^~*%%
%*~^...... them is already a bit behind the ......^~*%
*~^....... others. it will be my target. .......^~*
~^........ ........^~
*~^....... just as the light of the leading two is .......^~*
%*~^...... dimming, i deploy the rabbits, throwing ......^~*%
%%*~^..... them in the path of my prey. the .....^~*%%
#%%*~^.... creatures are yet alive, but maimed so ....^~*%%#
##%%*~^... as to be unable to move - they will ...^~*%%##
###%%*~^.. stay in the path of the railmaker, ..^~*%%###
####%%*~^. forcing it to pause, further separating .^~*%%####
###%%*~^.. it from its two friends. ..^~*%%###
##%%*~^... ...^~*%%##
#%%*~^.... ....^~*%%#
%%*~^..... ######################################## .....^~*%%
%*~^...... # another thing about the machines: # ......^~*%
*~^....... # there's flesh inside them. ########### .......^~*
~^........ ############################## not meat, ........^~
*~^....... but something like a liver, that will .......^~*
%*~^...... keep the railmakers internal chemistry ......^~*%
%%*~^..... well away from their various exhausts. .....^~*%%
#%%*~^.... ....^~*%%#
##%%*~^... a liver that, as long as you manage to ...^~*%%##
###%%*~^.. keep it alive, can clean the creek ..^~*%%###
####%%*~^. water enough for it to be drinkable. .^~*%%####
###%%*~^.. ..^~*%%###
##%%*~^... which is why i'm here. ...^~*%%##
#%%*~^.... ....^~*%%#
%%*~^..... .....^~*%%
%*~^...... ......^~*%
*~^....... .......^~*
~^........ ........^~