¤*:«^..... .....^«:*¤
¤¤*:«^.... ....^«:*¤¤
¶¤¤*:«^... ...^«:*¤¤¶
#¶¤¤*:«^.. ..^«:*¤¤¶#
##¶¤¤*:«^. .^«:*¤¤¶##
#¶¤¤*:«^.. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ..^«:*¤¤¶#
¶¤¤*:«^... ¤ 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. ...^«:*¤¤¶
#¶¤¤*:«^.. ..^«:*¤¤¶#
##¶¤¤*:«^. .^«:*¤¤¶##
#¶¤¤*:«^.. ..^«:*¤¤¶#
¶¤¤*:«^... ...^«:*¤¤¶
¤¤*:«^.... ....^«:*¤¤