%=~....... .......~=%
%%=~...... ......~=%%
@%%=~..... .....~=%%@
¶@%%=~.... ....~=%%@¶
@¶@%%=~... ...~=%%@¶@
#@¶@%%=~.. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ..~=%%@¶@#
@¶@%%=~... @ 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. .......~=%
%%=~...... ......~=%%
@%%=~..... .....~=%%@
¶@%%=~.... ....~=%%@¶
@¶@%%=~... ...~=%%@¶@
#@¶@%%=~.. ..~=%%@¶@#