......&&.. .&.&.&&.&.
.....&.&.& &&.&..&.&.
....&&.&.. .&.&.&&.&.
...&.&.&.& &&.&..&.&.
..&&.&.&.. .&.&.&&.&.
.&.&.&.&.& ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. &&.&..&.&.
&&.&.&.&.. 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. &&.&..&.&.
&&.&.&.&.. .&.&.&&.&.
.&.&.&.&.& &&.&..&.&.
&&.&.&.&.. .&.&.&&.&.
.&.&.&.&.& &&.&..&.&.
&&.&.&.&.. .&.&.&&.&.