#¤$**--... ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... ¤ autonomous railmakers will notice ¤ ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. ¤ wildlife in their path and stop, ¤ ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. sound a horn, nudge the animal a ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... little, but ultimately wait it out. ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... although they will log video, no call ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... will be made for any outside ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. assistance. this is very good. ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. the railmakers are siemens-manufactured ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... brick-like things. fields of gray and ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... teal, floodlights, thrumming and ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... hissing. trilling to each other, like ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. language. and here, three of them, ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. slowly making their way through the .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. dense forest. ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... i'm coming up on them from behind and ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... to the left, hidden behind the thick ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. foliage. their light finds the gaps ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. between the leaves, casting rays .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. through the wet air, playing over my ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... face and arms, and my weapon. i quickly ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... overtake them, crouch in the ditch made ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... by the preprocessor, and watch. one of ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. them is already a bit behind the ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. others. it will be my target. .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... just as the light of the leading two is ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... dimming, i deploy the rabbits, throwing ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... them in the path of my prey. the ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. creatures are yet alive, but maimed so ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. as to be unable to move - they will .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. stay in the path of the railmaker, ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... forcing it to pause, further separating ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... it from its two friends. ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. ¤ another thing about the machines: ¤ ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... ¤ there's flesh inside them. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ not meat, ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... but something like a liver, that will ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. keep the railmakers internal chemistry ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. well away from their various exhausts. .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... a liver that, as long as you manage to ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... keep it alive, can clean the creek ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... water enough for it to be drinkable. ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##
###¤$**--. which is why i'm here. .--**$¤###
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##
#¤$**--... ...--**$¤#
¤$**--.... ....--**$¤
#¤$**--... ...--**$¤#
##¤$**--.. ..--**$¤##