§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§§§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨§§§¨§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          §§§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§       ¨, ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,¨      §¨¨§§§¨§§§
§§§§§§§§§§ 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.          §§¨¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨§§§
§§¨§¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨§§§¨§§¨¨
§¨§§§¨§¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨§§¨§¨
§§§¨¨§§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨§§§
¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨§§§§§¨¨