.@@.@.@..@ ...@@....@
.@@....@.. @..@@@....
.@@@....@. .@.@.@@...
.@.@@....@ .....@@@..
...@@@.... .....@.@@.
...@.@@... .~ »»»»»»» »»»»»»» »»»»»»» ~. .......@@@
@....@@@.. 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. @....@@@..
..@@@..@.@ @@...@.@@.
..@.@@...@ .@@....@@@
@...@@@..@ .@@@...@.@
@@..@.@@.. .@.@@....@
.@@...@@@. ...@@@...@