.......=;† †;=.......
........=; ;=........
.........= =.........
.......... ..........
.........= =.........
........=; .. ======= ======= ======= .. ;=........
.......=;† 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. ¤†;=......
.......=;† †;=.......
........=; ;=........
.........= =.........
.......... ..........
.........= =.........