....:-:^%@ @%^:-:....
.....:-:^% %^:-:.....
......:-:^ ^:-:......
.......:-: :-:.......
........:- -:........
.........: .: ------- ------- ------- :. :.........
.......... 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. :-:.......
......:-:^ ^:-:......
.....:-:^% %^:-:.....
....:-:^%@ @%^:-:....
...:-:^%@@ @@%^:-:...
..:-:^%@@# #@@%^:-:..