@¤¤¤**^=~. .~=^**¤¤¤@
##¶@¤*^=~. .~=^*¤@¶##
¶¶¶@¤*^=~. .~=^*¤@¶¶¶
@*^=...... ......=^*@
@@¤^~..... .....~^¤@@
##¶@¤*^=~. .~ ======= ======= ======= ~. .~=^*¤@¶##
###¶@¤*^=~ 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. ~=^*¤@¶###
@*=~~..... .....~~=*@
##¶@¤*^=~. .~=^*¤@¶##
¶@@¤**^=~. .~=^**¤@@¶
###¶@*^=~. .~=^*@¶###
¶@****^=~. .~=^****@¶