*†~:......                                          ......:~†*
$*†~:.....                                          .....:~†*$
&$*†~:....                                          ....:~†*$&
@&$*†~:...                                          ...:~†*$&@
#@&$*†~:..                                          ..:~†*$&@#
##@&$*†~:. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& .:~†*$&@##
#@&$*†~:.. & autonomous railmakers will notice    & ..:~†*$&@#
@&$*†~:... & wildlife in their path and stop,     & ...:~†*$&@
&$*†~:.... &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ....:~†*$&
$*†~:..... sound  a  horn,   nudge   the  animal  a .....:~†*$
*†~:...... 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 ......:~†*
$*†~:.....  keep the railmakers internal chemistry  .....:~†*$
&$*†~:.... well  away  from their various exhausts. ....:~†*$&
@&$*†~:...                                          ...:~†*$&@
#@&$*†~:.. a liver that, as long  as you manage  to ..:~†*$&@#
##@&$*†~:. keep  it  alive,  can  clean  the  creek .:~†*$&@##
#@&$*†~:.. water  enough  for it  to  be drinkable. ..:~†*$&@#
@&$*†~:...                                          ...:~†*$&@
&$*†~:....          which is why i'm here.          ....:~†*$&
$*†~:.....                                          .....:~†*$
*†~:......                                          ......:~†*
†~:.......                                          .......:~†
*†~:......                                          ......:~†*
$*†~:.....                                          .....:~†*$