¨¨¨§§¨§§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨§§§                                          §§¨¨§§§§¨¨
¨§§§¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨§¨¨
§¨¨§§¨§¨§¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨¨
§¨§¨§§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
§§§§¨¨¨¨¨§       ¨: ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ :¨      ¨¨§§§§§§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§ 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.          §§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§§§§§¨§¨
¨§§§§¨§§¨§                                          §§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
§¨¨¨§§¨§§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨