@.@.@..@.@ .@.@@@...@
@.@.@.@@.@ @@..@@..@.
@.@.@..@.@ .@.@.@.@@.
@.@.@.@@.@ @@.@.@..@.
@.@.@..@.@ .@.@.@.@@.
@.@.@.@@.@ .^ ------- ------- ------- ^. @@.@.@..@.
@.@.@..@.@ 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. @@.@.@..@.
@.@.@..@.@ .@.@.@.@@.
@.@.@.@@.@ @@.@.@..@.
@.@.@..@.@ .@.@.@.@@.
@.@.@.@@.@ @@.@.@..@.
@.@.@..@.@ .@.@.@.@@.