¨.~==&#@## ##@#&==~.¨
¨.~==&#@## ##@#&==~.¨
¨.~==&#@@@ @@@#&==~.¨
¨.~=&#@### ###@#&=~.¨
¨.~==&#@@# #@@#&==~.¨
¨.~==&#@## ######################################## ##@#&==~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=# # 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. #@&=~~¨¨¨¨
¨.~==&#@## ##@#&==~.¨
¨.~==&#@## ##@#&==~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.==&@ @&==.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨..==&# #&==..¨¨¨¨
¨.~==&#@## ##@#&==~.¨