#%~~~,.... ....,~~~%#
#@##§%*~,. .,~*%§##@#
##§*,..... .....,*§##
#§*,...... ......,*§#
#@##§%*~,. .,~*%§##@#
####§%*~,. ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. .,~*%§####
###§%*~,.. 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. ...,,~%###
###§%*,... ...,*%§###
#§*~,,,... ...,,,~*§#
####§%*~,. .,~*%§####
####§%*~,. .,~*%§####
###%***~,. .,~***%###