###$^».... ....»^$###
####$§^»~. .~»^§$####
####$§^»~. .~»^§$####
#§^»»»~... ...~»»»^§#
##§»~..... .....~»§##
#$^~~..... ######################################## .....~~^$#
###$^~.... # autonomous railmakers will notice # ....~^$###
####$§^»~. # wildlife in their path and stop, # .~»^§$####
####$§^»~. ######################################## .~»^§$####
#$§»...... sound a horn, nudge the animal a ......»§$#
##§^^~~... 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 .....»»^§#
####$§^»~. keep it alive, can clean the creek .~»^§$####
####$§^»~. water enough for it to be drinkable. .~»^§$####
#§»....... .......»§#
####$§^»~. which is why i'm here. .~»^§$####
##$^~..... .....~^$##
###§»..... .....»§###
##$§§§^»~. .~»^§§§$##
#§§»~..... .....~»§§#
####$§^»~. .~»^§$####