##@#&%==^, ,^==%&#@##
@#&%%%==^, ,^==%%%&#@
@#&&%==^,, ,,^==%&&#@
##@#&%==^, ,^==%&#@##
##@#&%==^, ,^==%&#@##
#&===^,,,, ,^ ======= ======= ======= ^, ,,,,^===&#
@&===^^,,, 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. ,^==%&##@@
##%===^,,, ,,,^===%##
#@&%=^,,,, ,,,,^=%&@#
#%===,,,,, ,,,,,===%#
###@&%==^, ,^==%&@###
@#&%=^,,,, ,,,,^=%&#@