/«~....... .......~«/
*/«~...... ......~«/*
£*/«~..... .....~«/*£
@£*/«~.... ....~«/*£@
#@£*/«~... ...~«/*£@#
##@£*/«~.. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ..~«/*£@##
###@£*/«~. @ 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. .....~«/*£
@£*/«~.... ....~«/*£@
#@£*/«~... ...~«/*£@#
##@£*/«~.. ..~«/*£@##
###@£*/«~. .~«/*£@###
##@£*/«~.. ..~«/*£@##