,,,,,,^=&# #&=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=# #=-,,,,,,,
,,-^=&&&@# #@&&&=^-,,
,,-^=&#@## ##@#&=^-,,
,,-^=&#@## ##@#&=^-,,
,,,,,-=&&@ ,, ------- ------- ------- ,, @&&=-,,,,,
,,,,,^^==# 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. @&^^,,,,,,
,,,,-===#@ @#===-,,,,
,,-^=&#### ####&=^-,,
,,,,^=&&@# #@&&=^,,,,
,,-^=&#@## ##@#&=^-,,
,,-^=&#@## ##@#&=^-,,