$%†=...... ......=†%$
%†=....... .......=†%
†=........ ........=†
%†=....... .......=†%
$%†=...... ......=†%$
§$%†=..... §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ .....=†%$§
#§$%†=.... § autonomous railmakers will notice § ....=†%$§#
##§$%†=... § wildlife in their path and stop, § ...=†%$§##
###§$%†=.. §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ ..=†%$§###
##§$%†=... sound a horn, nudge the animal a ...=†%$§##
#§$%†=.... little, but ultimately wait it out. ....=†%$§#
§$%†=..... although they will log video, no call .....=†%$§
$%†=...... will be made for any outside ......=†%$
%†=....... 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. ........=†
%†=....... .......=†%
$%†=...... a liver that, as long as you manage to ......=†%$
§$%†=..... keep it alive, can clean the creek .....=†%$§
#§$%†=.... water enough for it to be drinkable. ....=†%$§#
##§$%†=... ...=†%$§##
###§$%†=.. which is why i'm here. ..=†%$§###
##§$%†=... ...=†%$§##
#§$%†=.... ....=†%$§#
§$%†=..... .....=†%$§
$%†=...... ......=†%$
%†=....... .......=†%