§§§§§§§¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§§§§
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §§§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨§¨
¨§§§§¨¨§¨¨      ¨, ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« ,¨       §¨¨¨§¨¨§§§
§§¨¨¨§¨§§¨ 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.          ¨§§¨§§§§§¨
§§§§¨§¨§§§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          §§§§¨§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§¨§
§§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§§¨§§§