##.###.... ..#....#..
##.#.##... #..#....#.
##...###.. .#..#.....
###..#.##. ..#..#....
#.##...### #..#..#...
..###..#.# ., ======= ======= ======= ,. .#..#..#..
..#.##...# 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. .....#.##.
..#.##...# .......###
#...###..# .......#.#
##..#.##.. .........#
.##...###. .........#
.###..#.## ..........