@@.@@@@@@. @.@@@..@..
.@@.....@. @@..@.@@.@
@.@....@@. .@.@@@.@@@
@@@...@.@@ @@@..@@...
..@..@@@.@ ..@.@.@..@
.@@.@..@@@ .~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~. .@@@@@@.@@
@.@@@.@... 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. @@...@....
@@@.@@@.@@ .@..@@...@
..@@..@@.@ @@.@.@..@.
.@.@.@.@@@ .@@@@@.@@.
@@@@@@@..@ @....@@.@.
......@.@. @...@.@@@@