,,,.=*=¶ ¶#&=*=.,,,
,,.=*=¶# #¶#&=*=.,,
,.=*=¶## ##¶#&=*=.,
,,.=*=¶# #¶#&=*=.,,
,,,.=*=¶ ¶#&=*=.,,,
,,,,.=*= ,. ======= ======= ======= ., #&=*=.,,,,
,,,,,.=*=& 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. #&=*=.,,,,
,,,,,.=*=& &=*=.,,,,,
,,,,,,.=*= =*=.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.=* *=.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.= =.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,. .,,,,,,,,,