~......... .........~
=~........ ........~=
/=~....... .......~=/
†/=~...... ......~=/†
@†/=~..... .....~=/†@
§@†/=~.... .~ ======= ======= ======= ~. ....~=/†@§
@§@†/=~... 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. ....~=/†@§
@§@†/=~... ...~=/†@§@
#@§@†/=~.. ..~=/†@§@#
##@§@†/=~. .~=/†@§@##
#@§@†/=~.. ..~=/†@§@#
@§@†/=~... ...~=/†@§@