##@%**-:.. ..:-**%@##
#@%**-:... ...:-**%@#
@%**-:.... ....:-**%@
%**-:..... .....:-**%
@%**-:.... ....:-**%@
#@%**-:... .: ------- ------- ------- :. ...:-**%@#
##@%**-:.. 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. .:-**%@###
##@%**-:.. ..:-**%@##
#@%**-:... ...:-**%@#
@%**-:.... ....:-**%@
%**-:..... .....:-**%
@%**-:.... ....:-**%@