.....^=:†%                                          %†:=^.....
....^=:†%@                                          @%†:=^....
...^=:†%@#                                          #@%†:=^...
..^=:†%@##                                          ##@%†:=^..
.^=:†%@###                                          ###@%†:=^.
..^=:†%@##      .^ ======= ======= ======= ^.       ##@%†:=^..
...^=:†%@# 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.          ..........
.........^                                          ^.........
........^=                                          =^........
.......^=:                                          :=^.......
......^=:†                                          †:=^......
.....^=:†%                                          %†:=^.....