¨-«==&¤### ###¤&==«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨«=&¤# #¤&=«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-===¤ ¤===-¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«==&¤### ###¤&==«-¨
¨-«==&¤### ###¤&==«-¨
¨-«==&¤### ¨- ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« -¨ ###¤&==«-¨
¨-«==&¤### 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. #&====-¨¨¨
¨-«==&¤### ###¤&==«-¨
¨¨¨¨««=&¤# #¤&=««¨¨¨¨
¨-«==&¤### ###¤&==«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨--«=¤ ¤=«--¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«==&¤### ###¤&==«-¨