§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          §§§§§§¨§¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨§
§§¨§§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§§
¨§§¨§§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨§§§§§                                          ¨¨§¨§§§¨¨¨
§§¨§§¨¨¨¨§      ¨. »»»»»»» »»»»»»» »»»»»»» .¨       ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨§
¨§§¨§¨¨¨§¨ 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.          ¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨§§§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§§§¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§§                                          §¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨§¨¨§§