¨§¨§¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§¨§§¨                                          §§§§¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§§¨§¨§
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§       ¨~ ------- ------- ------- ~¨      §¨§§¨§§§§§
¨§§¨§§¨¨§¨ 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.          §¨§§§§§§§§
¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§§§§§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§