......&..& .&&.&.&&..
.......&.. .&&...&&&.
........&. .&&&..&.&&
&........& .&.&&...&&
&&........ ...&&&..&.
&&&....... ., ======= ======= ======= ,. ...&.&&...
&.&&...... 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. ....&.....
.&.&&..... &....&....
...&&&.... .&....&...
...&.&&... ..&....&..
.....&&&.. ...&....&.
.....&.&&. &...&....&