.......^-= =-^.......
........^- -^........
.........^ ^.........
........^- -^........
.......^-= =-^.......
......^-=* .^ ------- ------- ------- ^. *=-^......
.....^-=*£ 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. *=-^......
.......^-= =-^.......
........^- -^........
.........^ ^.........
........^- -^........
.......^-= =-^.......