#¨¨¨###¨¨#                                          #¨¨###¨#¨#
#¨¨#¨¨#¨##                                          #¨#¨¨####¨
#¨##¨###¨#                                          ###¨#¨¨¨##
##¨##¨¨##¨                                          ¨¨###¨¨#¨¨
¨##¨#¨#¨##                                          ¨#¨¨#¨##¨#
#¨######¨¨ ######################################## ##¨###¨###
##¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨ # 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.          ¨¨##¨¨#¨##
#¨###¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨###¨#
##¨¨#¨###¨                                          #####¨¨##¨
¨#¨###¨¨##                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨#¨##
###¨¨#¨#¨¨                                          ¨¨¨#####¨#
¨¨#¨####¨#                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨¨##¨