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.......^~†      .^ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ^.       †~^.......
......^~†= 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.)    =†~^......
.......^~†                                          †~^.......
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........^~   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.       =†~^......
.......^~†                                          †~^.......
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........^~       NICK IS UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND       ~^........
.......^~†          THE "WILD FLESH" VATS.          †~^.......
......^~†=                                          =†~^......
.....^~†=£                                          £=†~^.....
....^~†=££                                          ££=†~^....
...^~†=££#                                          #££=†~^...
..^~†=££##                                          ##££=†~^..