..^^^^:*## ##*:^^^^..
....^^-*## ##*-^^....
.^-:*##### #####*:-^.
.^-:**#### ####**:-^.
.^-:**#### ####**:-^.
.^-:*##### .^ ------- ------- ------- ^. #####*:-^.
......^:*# 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. #**:-.....
.^-:**#### ####**:-^.
.^-:**#### ####**:-^.
.^-:**#### ####**:-^.
.^-:*****# #*****:-^.
...^:**### ###**:^...