####¤$^~,¨ ¨,~^$¤####
##¤^,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,^¤##
####¤$^~,¨ ¨,~^$¤####
####¤$^~,¨ ¨,~^$¤####
####¤$^~,¨ ¨,~^$¤####
#¤$$~¨¨¨¨¨ ######################################## ¨¨¨¨¨~$$¤#
##¤¤^~¨¨¨¨ # 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. ¨¨¨¨¨~^¤##
#$^^^^~,¨¨ ¨¨,~^^^^$#
###$^~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~^$###
####¤$^~,¨ ######################################## ¨,~^$¤####
#####$^~,¨ # another thing about the machines: # ¨,~^$#####
##$^,,¨¨¨¨ # there's flesh inside them. ########### ¨¨¨¨,,^$##
####¤$^~,¨ ############################## not meat, ¨,~^$¤####
####¤$^~,¨ but something like a liver, that will ¨,~^$¤####
####¤$^~,¨ keep the railmakers internal chemistry ¨,~^$¤####
####¤$^~,¨ well away from their various exhausts. ¨,~^$¤####
##$$~,,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,,~$$##
##$~~¨¨¨¨¨ a liver that, as long as you manage to ¨¨¨¨¨~~$##
##¤$^~,¨¨¨ keep it alive, can clean the creek ¨¨¨,~^$¤##
#$$~,¨¨¨¨¨ water enough for it to be drinkable. ¨¨¨¨¨,~$$#
####¤$^~,¨ ¨,~^$¤####
####¤$^~,¨ which is why i'm here. ¨,~^$¤####
###$$$^~,¨ ¨,~^$$$###
##¤¤^~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~^¤¤##
##$$$^~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~^$$$##
##¤^~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~^¤##
#¤^^,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,^^¤#