@*=.......                                          .......=*@
#@£***~...                                          ...~***£@#
#@*=~.....                                          .....~=*@#
##@@£**=~.                                          .~=**£@@##
@@£**=~~..                                          ..~~=**£@@
##@@£**=~. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ .~=**£@@##
@@@@£**=~. @ 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.          ...=**£@@#
##@@£**=~.                                          .~=**£@@##
#@£***~...                                          ...~***£@#
##@@£**=~.                                          .~=**£@@##
@@@£**=~..                                          ..~=**£@@@
#@**=.....                                          .....=**@#