..=$$##@## ##@##$$=..
......-$## ##$-......
....==$### ###$==....
..-=$$##@@ @@##$$=-..
..-=$$##@# #@##$$=-..
..-=$$##@# .. ------- ------- ------- .. #@##$$=-..
..-=$$##@@ NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. @@##$$=-..
..-=$$#### .. ------- ------- ------- .. ####$$=-..
..-==$$### ###$$==-..
.......-$# HE'S NOT ABOVE PETTY CRIME, BUT HE #$-.......
..-=$$##@# KNOWS THAT IF HE PUTS IN A BIT OF WORK, #@##$$=-..
....--=$$# HE WILL FIND MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE #$$=--....
..-=$$#### REWARDS. ####$$=-..
..-=$$##@# #@##$$=-..
.....-$$## AND THUS HE'S CURRENTLY WORKING ##$$-.....
..-=$$##@# ALONGSIDE HATSUNE MIKU FOR A COMPANY #@##$$=-..
..-=$$##@@ THAT MAKES SYNTHETIC MEAL REPLACEMENTS. @@##$$=-..
.....-=$## HE'S GOT A VAGUE OUTLINE OF A PLAN, TO ##$=-.....
..-=$$##@# SCATTER WITH SOME PRODUCT, OR EVEN #@##$$=-..
.-=$$##@## BETTER, SOME FORMULA? THESE THINGS ARE ##@##$$=-.
..-=$$##@# WORTH A LOT TO A COMPETITOR. #@##$$=-..
..-=$$##@@ @@##$$=-..
..-=$$$$## HE'S BEEN LUCKY; THE PLACE IS ##$$$$=-..
..-=$##@## SURPRISINGLY UNGUARDED. ONCE HE'S GOT ##@##$=-..
..-=$$##@# 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. @###$$=-..
..-$$##@## ##@##$$-..
.....==$## ##$==.....
..-=$$##@# #@##$$=-..
..-=$$#### ####$$=-..
...-==$$## ##$$==-...