#@@#%%^=:. .:=^%%#@@#
##@#%%^=:. .:=^%%#@##
#@@#%%^=:. .:=^%%#@@#
##@@#%%^=. .=^%%#@@##
@@@#%%^=:. .:=^%%#@@@
#@@#%%^=:. .: ======= ======= ======= :. .:=^%%#@@#
#@@#%%^=:. 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. .:=^%%%%#@
##@@#%^=:. .:=^%#@@##
#@@#%%^=:. .:=^%%#@@#
##@@#%^=:. .:=^%#@@##
#%%%%=.... ....=%%%%#
#@@#%%^=:. .:=^%%#@@#