......:/%#                                          #%/:......
.:«/%$@###                                          ###@$%/«:.
.:«/%$@###                                          ###@$%/«:.
.....«/%##                                          ##%/«.....
.:«/%$#@##                                          ##@#$%/«:.
...://$### ######################################## ###$//:...
.....:/$## # autonomous railmakers will notice    # ##$/:.....
.:«/%$#@## # wildlife in their path and stop,     # ##@#$%/«:.
....:/%### ######################################## ###%/:....
.:«/%$#@## sound  a   horn,   nudge  the  animal  a ##@#$%/«:.
...:://$#@ little,  but  ultimately  wait  it  out. @#$//::...
.:«/%$#@@# although  they  will  log video, no call #@@#$%/«:.
......«%## 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.          #@#%%«::..
.:««««%$@@                                          @@$%««««:.
.:«/%$#@##                                          ##@#$%/«:.
....:/%%$#                                          #$%%/:....
.:«/%$####                                          ####$%/«:.
.:«««%%$@#                                          #@$%%«««:.