,~=†***@¶@ @¶@***†=~,
,,,,,=†*¶¶ ¶¶*†=,,,,,
,,,~~~~†*@ @*†~~~~,,,
,,,,,~†*¶@ @¶*†~,,,,,
,~=†**@¶@# #@¶@**†=~,
,,,~=***@@ ,~ ======= ======= ======= ~, @@***=~,,,
,,,,==**@@ 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. @@¶@**†=~,
,~=†**@¶¶@ @¶¶@**†=~,
,,,,,,=*@@ @@*=,,,,,,
,,,,,=*@@@ @@@*=,,,,,
,,,,,~=*@@ @@*=~,,,,,
,~=††††*@@ @@*††††=~,