.~=†§%####                                          ####%§†=~.
.~=†§%####                                          ####%§†=~.
.....~††%#                                          #%††~.....
...~=§§%%#                                          #%%§§=~...
.~=†§%####                                          ####%§†=~.
.~=†§%%%##       .~ ======= ======= ======= ~.      ##%%%§†=~.
.~=†§%#### 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.          #%†=~.....
.~=††§§###                                          ###§§††=~.
.~=†§%####                                          ####%§†=~.
.~=†§%%%%#                                          #%%%%§†=~.
.......=§#                                          #§=.......
......==§#                                          #§==......