#&&*†~^... ...^~†*&&#
&&*†~^.... ....^~†*&&
&*†~^..... .....^~†*&
*†~^...... ......^~†*
†~^....... .......^~†
~^........ .^ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ^. ........^~
^......... 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. ....^~†*&&
#&&*†~^... ...^~†*&&#
##&&*†~^.. ..^~†*&&##
###&&*†~^. .^~†*&&###
##&&*†~^.. ..^~†*&&##
#&&*†~^... ...^~†*&&#