##@#*$=~.. ..~=$*#@##
###@#*$=~. .~=$*#@###
##@#*$=~.. ..~=$*#@##
#@#*$=~... ...~=$*#@#
@#*$=~.... ....~=$*#@
#*$=~..... .. ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ .. .....~=$*#
*$=~...... NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. ......~=$*
$=~....... .. ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ .. .......~=$
=~........ ........~=
$=~....... HE'S NOT ABOVE PETTY CRIME, BUT HE .......~=$
*$=~...... KNOWS THAT IF HE PUTS IN A BIT OF WORK, ......~=$*
#*$=~..... HE WILL FIND MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE .....~=$*#
@#*$=~.... REWARDS. ....~=$*#@
#@#*$=~... ...~=$*#@#
##@#*$=~.. AND THUS HE'S CURRENTLY WORKING ..~=$*#@##
###@#*$=~. ALONGSIDE HATSUNE MIKU FOR A COMPANY .~=$*#@###
##@#*$=~.. THAT MAKES SYNTHETIC MEAL REPLACEMENTS. ..~=$*#@##
#@#*$=~... HE'S GOT A VAGUE OUTLINE OF A PLAN, TO ...~=$*#@#
@#*$=~.... SCATTER WITH SOME PRODUCT, OR EVEN ....~=$*#@
#*$=~..... BETTER, SOME FORMULA? THESE THINGS ARE .....~=$*#
*$=~...... WORTH A LOT TO A COMPETITOR. ......~=$*
$=~....... .......~=$
=~........ 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 ........~=
$=~....... FACTORY THAT CONTAINS A VAST NUMBER OF .......~=$
*$=~...... AUXILLIARY BLOOD COLONIES. MIKU WATCHES ......~=$*
#*$=~..... OVER THESE AS WELL. THEIR PURPOSE IS .....~=$*#
@#*$=~.... UNCLEAR. ....~=$*#@
#@#*$=~... ...~=$*#@#
##@#*$=~.. THE FACTORY IS SURROUNDED BY THE BLOOD ..~=$*#@##
###@#*$=~. MEAL FARMS. THERE IS A CONSTANT .~=$*#@###
##@#*$=~.. EXCHANGE OF BLOOD AND BLOOD MEAL. THIS ..~=$*#@##
#@#*$=~... PROVIDES TWO OF THE MAJOR MATERIALS FOR ...~=$*#@#
@#*$=~.... BOTH THE COLONIES AND MIKU. ....~=$*#@
#*$=~..... .....~=$*#
*$=~...... ~~~ ~~~ ......~=$*
$=~....... ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ .......~=$
=~........ ~~~ ~~~ ........~=
$=~....... .......~=$
*$=~...... NICK IS UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND ......~=$*
#*$=~..... THE "WILD FLESH" VATS. .....~=$*#
@#*$=~.... ....~=$*#@
#@#*$=~... ...~=$*#@#
##@#*$=~.. ..~=$*#@##
###@#*$=~. .~=$*#@###
##@#*$=~.. ..~=$*#@##