.....-=†*$ $*†=-.....
....-=†*$£ £$*†=-....
...-=†*$£# #£$*†=-...
..-=†*$£## ##£$*†=-..
.-=†*$£### ###£$*†=-.
..-=†*$£## .- ======= ======= ======= -. ##£$*†=-..
...-=†*$£# NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. #£$*†=-...
....-=†*$£ .- ======= ======= ======= -. £$*†=-....
.....-=†*$ $*†=-.....
......-=†* HE'S NOT ABOVE PETTY CRIME, BUT HE *†=-......
.......-=† KNOWS THAT IF HE PUTS IN A BIT OF WORK, †=-.......
........-= HE WILL FIND MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE =-........
.........- REWARDS. -.........
.......... ..........
.......... AND THUS HE'S CURRENTLY WORKING ..........
.......... ALONGSIDE HATSUNE MIKU FOR A COMPANY ..........
.........- THAT MAKES SYNTHETIC MEAL REPLACEMENTS. -.........
........-= HE'S GOT A VAGUE OUTLINE OF A PLAN, TO =-........
.......-=† SCATTER WITH SOME PRODUCT, OR EVEN †=-.......
......-=†* BETTER, SOME FORMULA? THESE THINGS ARE *†=-......
.....-=†*$ WORTH A LOT TO A COMPETITOR. $*†=-.....
....-=†*$£ £$*†=-....
...-=†*$£# HE'S BEEN LUCKY; THE PLACE IS #£$*†=-...
..-=†*$£## SURPRISINGLY UNGUARDED. ONCE HE'S GOT ##£$*†=-..
.-=†*$£### HIS PAWS ON SOMETHING WORTHWHILE, IT'LL ###£$*†=-.
..-=†*$£## BE EASY TO JUST WALTZ OUT. UNTIL THEN, ##£$*†=-..
...-=†*$£# KEEP DOING THE WORK... #£$*†=-...
....-=†*$£ £$*†=-....
.....-=†*$ COME TO THINK OF IT, THE PLACE IS $*†=-.....
......-=†* ALMOST EERILY EMPTY. THERE ARE FEW *†=-......
.......-=† COWORKERS. (IN FACT THE COMPANY IS †=-.......
........-= AI-RUN AND ONLY A FEW KEY ROLES ARE =-........
.........- FILLED BY ACTUAL PEOPLE. -.........
.......... ..........
.......... NONE OF THE EMPLOYEES KNOW THIS.) ..........
.......... ..........
.........- === === -.........
........-= === === === =-........
.......-=† === === †=-.......
......-=†* *†=-......
.....-=†*$ NICK AND MIKU ARE BOTH STATIONED IN $*†=-.....
....-=†*$£ EARLY PROCESSING, HOUSED IN A STATE OF £$*†=-....
...-=†*$£# THE ART FACTORY CLOSE TO THE DOCKS. #£$*†=-...
..-=†*$£## THEY CREATE THE EARLY BUILDING BLOCKS ##£$*†=-..
.-=†*$£### THAT ARE LATER COMBINED INTO THE MEALS ###£$*†=-.
..-=†*$£## THAT'S SOLD TO CUSTOMERS. ##£$*†=-..
...-=†*$£# #£$*†=-...
....-=†*$£ THE BASES ARE MOSTLY SLUDGES £$*†=-....
.....-=†*$ OR PASTES, SUCH AS: $*†=-.....
......-=†* *†=-......
.......-=† †= PLANT MATTER †=-.......
........-= †= BLOOD COLONY =-........
.........- (MADE WITH A TYPE OF BACTERIA) -.........
.......... †= WILD FLESH ..........
.......... (FREE ROAMING ANIMALS) ..........
.......... †= ORGANS ..........
.........- (TAKEN FROM A LIVING HUMAN THAT -.........
........-= IS WILLING TO SELL) =-........
.......-=† †= MINERALS †=-.......
......-=†* †= BLOOD COLONY TWO *†=-......
.....-=†*$ †= INSECTS $*†=-.....
....-=†*$£ (WHICH ARE MAINLY USED FOR THEIR £$*†=-....
...-=†*$£# BRAIN, WHICH IS USED TO EXTRACT #£$*†=-...
..-=†*$£## RECEPTORS THAT DETECT PHEROMONES) ##£$*†=-..
.-=†*$£### ###£$*†=-.
..-=†*$£## === === ##£$*†=-..
...-=†*$£# === === === #£$*†=-...
....-=†*$£ === === £$*†=-....
.....-=†*$ $*†=-.....
......-=†* MIKU IS IN CHARGE OF THE BLOOD *†=-......
.......-=† COLONIES. THERE'S LARGE VATS OF THE †=-.......
........-= ORIGINAL CULTURE WHICH IS FED BLOOD =-........
.........- MEAL, BONE MEAL, WHAT DOESN'T QUALIFY -.........
.......... TO GO IN THE "WILD FLESH" PASTE, AND ..........
.......... SOME PROCESSING CHEMICALS. ALL THESE ..........
.......... INGREDIENTS HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE BLOOD ..........
.........- WHICH IN TURN AFFECTS MIKU. -.........
........-= =-........
.......-=† THERE IS A LARGE TANK BEHIND THE †=-.......
......-=†* FACTORY THAT CONTAINS A VAST NUMBER OF *†=-......
.....-=†*$ AUXILLIARY BLOOD COLONIES. MIKU WATCHES $*†=-.....
....-=†*$£ OVER THESE AS WELL. THEIR PURPOSE IS £$*†=-....
...-=†*$£# UNCLEAR. #£$*†=-...
..-=†*$£## ##£$*†=-..
.-=†*$£### THE FACTORY IS SURROUNDED BY THE BLOOD ###£$*†=-.
..-=†*$£## MEAL FARMS. THERE IS A CONSTANT ##£$*†=-..
...-=†*$£# EXCHANGE OF BLOOD AND BLOOD MEAL. THIS #£$*†=-...
....-=†*$£ PROVIDES TWO OF THE MAJOR MATERIALS FOR £$*†=-....
.....-=†*$ BOTH THE COLONIES AND MIKU. $*†=-.....
......-=†* *†=-......
.......-=† === === †=-.......
........-= === === === =-........
.........- === === -.........
.......... ..........
.......... NICK IS UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND ..........
.......... THE "WILD FLESH" VATS. ..........
.........- -.........
........-= =-........
.......-=† †=-.......
......-=†* *†=-......
.....-=†*$ $*†=-.....