¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨§¨¨¨§¨§
§¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨§§§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨¨§¨§¨¨§§
§§§§§¨§¨§§      ¨^ ======= ======= ======= ^¨       §¨§§§§¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨ 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.          §§§¨§§§¨§§
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨§§¨§
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨§§§
¨§¨§¨§¨§§§                                          §§§§§§§¨¨§
§§§§§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨