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