.....~:*§§ §§*:~.....
......~:*§ §*:~......
.......~:* *:~.......
........~: :~........
.........~ ~.........
.......... §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ ..........
.......... § 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. ##§§*:~...
..~:*§§### ###§§*:~..
...~:*§§## ##§§*:~...
....~:*§§# #§§*:~....
.....~:*§§ §§*:~.....
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