*~:.......                                          .......:~*
=*~:......                                          ......:~*=
%=*~:.....                                          .....:~*=%
¤%=*~:....                                          ....:~*=%¤
£¤%=*~:...                                          ...:~*=%¤£
#£¤%=*~:.. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ..:~*=%¤£#
##£¤%=*~:. ¤ 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.          ...:~*=%¤£
¤%=*~:....                                          ....:~*=%¤
%=*~:.....                                          .....:~*=%
=*~:......                                          ......:~*=
*~:.......                                          .......:~*
~:........                                          ........:~