.~«=%$####                                          ####$%=«~.
.~«=%$#¶##                                          ##¶#$%=«~.
....««%%$¶                                          ¶$%%««....
.~«=%%$$¶#                                          #¶$$%%=«~.
.~«=%$####                                          ####$%=«~.
.~«=%$#¶## ######################################## ##¶#$%=«~.
.~«=%$#¶## # autonomous railmakers will notice    # ##¶#$%=«~.
...~«%%$¶# # wildlife in their path and stop,     # #¶$%%«~...
.~«=%$#¶## ######################################## ##¶#$%=«~.
...~~~«%## 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. #%=«......
~«=%$#¶###                                          ###¶#$%=«~
.....~«=$¶ a liver that, as long as  you  manage to ¶$=«~.....
.~«=%$#### keep  it  alive,  can  clean  the  creek ####$%=«~.
.~«=%$#¶## water  enough for  it  to  be drinkable. ##¶#$%=«~.
.~«=%$#¶##                                          ##¶#$%=«~.
.~«=%$#¶##          which is why i'm here.          ##¶#$%=«~.
...««=%###                                          ###%=««...
..~~«=%%##                                          ##%%=«~~..
.~«=%$#¶¶#                                          #¶¶#$%=«~.
.~«=%$#¶##                                          ##¶#$%=«~.
....«««%$¶                                          ¶$%«««....