,,,,,.~*§& &§*~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*§ §*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~* *~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*§ §*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~*§& &§*~.,,,,,
,,,,.~*§&£ ,. ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ., £&§*~.,,,,
,,,.~*§&£# 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. £&§*~.,,,,
,,,,,.~*§& &§*~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*§ §*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.~* *~.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*§ §*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~*§& &§*~.,,,,,