.....##..# #.#.#.....
.....#.#.# ######....
.....##### ......#...
.....#.... #.....##..
.....##... ##....#.#.
.....#.#.. ######################################## ..#...####
#....####. # 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. ..##.##...
#.##....#. ..#.##.#..
###.#...## ..###.###.
#..###..#. #.#..##..#
.#.#..#.## .###.#.#.#
#####.###. ##..######