@@@..@@@@. ..@.@.@@@.
@..@.@...@ ..@@@@@..@
.@.@@@@..@ ..@....@.@
@@@@...@.@ @.@@...@@@
....@..@@@ .@@.@..@..
....@@.@.. .~ ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« ~. .@.@@@.@@.
....@.@@@. 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. ..@@@.@.@@
@@@@.@@..@ ..@..@@@@.
@...@@.@.@ @.@@.@...@
.@..@.@@@@ @@@.@@@..@
@@@.@@@... ...@@..@.@
...@@..@.. @..@.@.@@@