.@@@....@. .@....@...
.@.@@....@ ..@....@..
...@@@.... ...@....@.
...@.@@... ....@....@
@....@@@.. @....@....
.@...@.@@. ., ======= ======= ======= ,. @@....@...
..@....@@@ 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. @@@..@...@
.@@@..@.@@ @.@@..@...
.@.@@...@@ ..@@@..@..
...@@@..@. ..@.@@..@.
...@.@@... ....@@@..@
@....@@@.. ....@.@@..