.&.&.&.&.& &.&&&....&
.&.&.&.&.& &..&&...&&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&..&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&.&&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&..&.&
.&.&.&.&.& .. ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ .. &.&.&.&&.&
.&.&.&.&.& 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. &.&.&.&&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&..&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&.&&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&..&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&.&&.&
.&.&.&.&.& &.&.&..&.&