&..&&&&&.& .&.&&....&
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&.&.&.&&.& .- ======= ======= ======= -. .&..&.&.&.
&.&.&..&.& 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. .&..&.&.&.
&.&.&..&.& .&.&&.&.&.
&.&.&.&&.& .&..&.&.&.
&.&.&..&.& .&.&&.&.&.
&.&.&.&&.& .&..&.&.&.
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