.&.&....&. ...&&&....
....&....& &..&.&&...
.....&.... &&...&&&..
......&... &&&..&.&&.
.......&.. &.&&...&&&
&.......&. ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. ..&&&..&.&
&&.......& 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. .&....&...
.....&.&&. ..&....&..
.......&&& ...&....&.
.......&.& ....&....&
&........& .....&....
.&.......& &.....&...