,,,,,:=;*% %*;=:,,,,,
,,,,,,:=;* *;=:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:=; ;=:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:=;* *;=:,,,,,,
,,,,,:=;*% %*;=:,,,,,
,,,,:=;*%¤ ,: ======= ======= ======= :, ¤%*;=:,,,,
,,,:=;*%¤# 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. ¤%*;=:,,,,
,,,,,:=;*% %*;=:,,,,,
,,,,,,:=;* *;=:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:=; ;=:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:=;* *;=:,,,,,,
,,,,,:=;*% %*;=:,,,,,