¨¨§§§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          §§¨§¨¨§¨§§
§§¨§¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨§§§¨§
¨§§§¨§§§§¨                                          §¨¨§§¨¨§§¨
§¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§§¨      ¨, ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« ,¨       §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§¨§¨§¨ 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.          §§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
§§§¨§§§¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§¨§
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§¨                                          §§¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨