§§§=\~.... ....~\=§§§
§§==~~.... ....~~==§§
###§§=\~~. .~~\=§§###
#§=~~..... .....~~=§#
###§§=\~~. .~~\=§§###
###§§=\~~. §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ .~~\=§§###
###§§=\~~. § 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. .~~\=§§###
#§=~~..... .....~~=§#
§=~~...... ......~~=§
#§§\\~~... ...~~\\§§#
#§\\~..... .....~\\§#
§§\~~..... .....~~\§§