¨:=:::::%§ §%:::::=:¨
¨:=:$%§#@@ @@#§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%§#@# #@#§%$:=:¨
¨¨¨¨::$%§@ @§%$::¨¨¨¨
¨:=:$%§### ###§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%§#@# ¨: ======= ======= ======= :¨ #@#§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%§#@# NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. #@#§%$:=:¨
¨¨¨¨::%%%§ ¨: ======= ======= ======= :¨ §%%%::¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨::$§# #§$::¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=:$%§### HE'S NOT ABOVE PETTY CRIME, BUT HE ###§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%§#@# KNOWS THAT IF HE PUTS IN A BIT OF WORK, #@#§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%§§§§ HE WILL FIND MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE §§§§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%§@## REWARDS. ##@§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%%%%# #%%%%$:=:¨
¨¨:=:::$$§ AND THUS HE'S CURRENTLY WORKING §$$:::=:¨¨
¨:=::::%## 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. #%%:=:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨::$§ §$::¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=:$%§#@# #@#§%$:=:¨
¨:=:$%§### ###§%$:=:¨
¨¨¨:==:$§# #§$:==:¨¨¨
¨:=:$%§§§§ §§§§%$:=:¨