..,~/†@###                                          ###@†/~,..
.,~/†@####                                          ####@†/~,.
..,~/†@###                                          ###@†/~,..
...,~/†@##                                          ##@†/~,...
..,~/†@###                                          ###@†/~,..
.,~/†@####       ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,.      ####@†/~,.
..,~/†@### 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.          ##@†/~,...
..,~/†@###                                          ###@†/~,..
.,~/†@####                                          ####@†/~,.
..,~/†@###                                          ###@†/~,..
...,~/†@##                                          ##@†/~,...
..,~/†@###                                          ###@†/~,..