.^»:%%§¶@# #@¶§%%:»^.
..^»:%%§¶@ @¶§%%:»^..
...^»:%%§¶ ¶§%%:»^...
....^»:%%§ §%%:»^....
.....^»:%% %%:»^.....
......^»:% .^ »»»»»»» »»»»»»» »»»»»»» ^. %:»^......
.......^»: 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. @¶§%%:»^..
.^»:%%§¶@# #@¶§%%:»^.
..^»:%%§¶@ @¶§%%:»^..
...^»:%%§¶ ¶§%%:»^...
....^»:%%§ §%%:»^....
.....^»:%% %%:»^.....