@@@@%$^=^¨ ¨^=^$%@@@@
@@%%%$^=^¨ ¨^=^$%%%@@
#@#@%$^=^¨ ¨^=^$%@#@#
#@#@%$^=^¨ ¨^=^$%@#@#
@#@$=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=$@#@
@@@%$^^¨¨¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨¨¨^^$%@@@
#@$$=^^^^¨ @ autonomous railmakers will notice @ ¨^^^^=$$@#
##@@%$^=^¨ @ wildlife in their path and stop, @ ¨^=^$%@@##
#@#@%$^=^¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨^=^$%@#@#
@@%^^^¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨^=$$$@
##%$=¨¨¨¨¨ keep it alive, can clean the creek ¨¨¨¨¨=$%##
###@%$^=^¨ water enough for it to be drinkable. ¨^=^$%@###
#@#@%$^=^¨ ¨^=^$%@#@#
@@@@%$^=^¨ which is why i'm here. ¨^=^$%@@@@
@%^^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^^%@
@$^=¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨=^$@
@@$^^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^^$@@
@%$$$^^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^^$$$%@
@%^^^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^^^%@