.=:%$&¶### ###¶&$%:=.
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%%%%%& &%%%%%:=,.
....=%$$ #&$$%=....
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:$&¶### ., ======= ======= ======= ,. ###¶&$:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ., ======= ======= ======= ,. ##¶&$%:=,.
...=::$&&¶ ¶&&$::=...
.,=:::$&&¶ HE'S NOT ABOVE PETTY CRIME, BUT HE ¶&&$:::=,.
.,=:%$&¶## KNOWS THAT IF HE PUTS IN A BIT OF WORK, ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶¶¶ HE WILL FIND MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE ¶¶¶&$%:=,.
.,=::%%$¶# REWARDS. #¶$%%::=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## AND THUS HE'S CURRENTLY WORKING ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ALONGSIDE HATSUNE MIKU FOR A COMPANY ##¶&$%:=,.
......==%& 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. ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$$&&& THERE IS A LARGE TANK BEHIND THE &&&$$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## FACTORY THAT CONTAINS A VAST NUMBER OF ##¶&$%:=,.
.....=::$& AUXILLIARY BLOOD COLONIES. MIKU WATCHES &$::=.....
.,=:::$&¶# OVER THESE AS WELL. THEIR PURPOSE IS #¶&$:::=,.
.,=:%$&¶## UNCLEAR. ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## THE FACTORY IS SURROUNDED BY THE BLOOD ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## MEAL FARMS. THERE IS A CONSTANT ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$$& EXCHANGE OF BLOOD AND BLOOD MEAL. THIS #&&$$%:=,.
....,:$$&& PROVIDES TWO OF THE MAJOR MATERIALS FOR &&$$:,....
.,=:%$&¶## BOTH THE COLONIES AND MIKU. ##¶&$%:=,.
....==:%%& &%%:==....
......,:$& === === &$:,......
.,=:%$&¶## === === === ##¶&$%:=,.
...=::%% === === #&%%::=...
....,:%$$¶ ¶$$%:,....
.,=:%%$&&& NICK IS UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND &&&$%%:=,.
.,=:%$$$¶# THE "WILD FLESH" VATS. #¶$$$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$$&&¶ ¶&&$$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.
.,=:%$$&&& &&&$$%:=,.
.,=:%$&¶## ##¶&$%:=,.