,,,,-^**@# #@**^-,,,,
,,,,,-^**@ @**^-,,,,,
,,,,-^**@# #@**^-,,,,
,,,-^**@## ##@**^-,,,
,,-^**@### ###@**^-,,
,,,-^**@## ,, ------- ------- ------- ,, ##@**^-,,,
,,,,-^**@# 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. ##@**^-,,,
,,,,-^**@# #@**^-,,,,
,,,,,-^**@ @**^-,,,,,
,,,,-^**@# #@**^-,,,,
,,,-^**@## ##@**^-,,,
,,-^**@### ###@**^-,,