¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§       ¨: ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ :¨      ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨§ 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.          ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨