....~»^†@£                                          £@†^»~....
.....~»^†@                                          @†^»~.....
......~»^†                                          †^»~......
.......~»^                                          ^»~.......
........~»                                          »~........
.........~ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ~.........
.......... £ 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.          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........~                                          ~.........