.....&.... ...&..&&&.
&&&&...&&& .&.....&..
.&&..&..&. ...&&&....
.......... &&..&..&&&
.&&&&&&&&& &.......&.
..&&&&&&&& .: ======= ======= ======= :. ..&&&&&...
&..&&&&&&& 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. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&