¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§§§¨¨§§§
§§§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨¨§§§§¨
§§¨§§¨¨§§§                                          ¨§§§¨§¨¨¨§
¨¨§§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨§¨§§§§§¨       ¨: ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« :¨      ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§§§§¨¨¨¨§ 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.          ¨¨§§§¨§¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨¨§§§¨¨
§§¨§§¨§§§§                                          §§§§¨§¨¨§¨
§¨§§¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨§§
¨§§¨§§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§§¨
¨§¨§§¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨§¨§