..^«:**&@# #@&**:«^..
.^«:**&@## ##@&**:«^.
..^«:**&@# #@&**:«^..
...^«:**&@ @&**:«^...
....^«:**& &**:«^....
.....^«:** .^ ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« ^. **:«^.....
......^«:* 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. :«^.......
........^« «^........
.........^ ^.........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........