.@.@..@... .@.@@@....
.@@@@.@@.. @@@@..@...
.@...@@.@. ....@.@@..
.@@..@.@@@ @...@@@.@.
.@.@.@@@.. .@..@..@@@
@@@@@@..@. .~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~. .@@.@@.@..
@.....@.@@ 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. @.@@.@@@@.
@@@@...@@@ @@@.@@...@
....@..@.. ...@@.@..@
@...@@.@@. ...@.@@@.@
.@..@.@@.@ ...@@@..@@
@@@.@@@.@@ @..@..@.@.