»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»
:»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»:
%:»-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-»:%
¤%:»-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-»:%¤
#¤%:»-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-»:%¤#
@#¤%:»-¨¨¨ ¨- »»»»»»» »»»»»»» »»»»»»» -¨ ¨¨¨-»:%¤#@
@@#¤%:»-¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»
:»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-»:
%:»-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-»:%
¤%:»-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-»:%¤
#¤%:»-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-»:%¤#