§¨§§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨§§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§
§§¨§§¨§§§¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§§¨§
¨¨§§¨§§¨¨§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨§§
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
§§§§§¨§§§§      ¨^ »»»»»»» »»»»»»» »»»»»»» ^¨       §¨§§§¨§¨§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨ 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.          ¨§§¨§§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
¨§§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §§§§¨§¨¨§§
§§¨§§§¨§§§                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨§¨
§¨§§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§§¨§¨¨