,.~\====&& &&====\~.,
,,,,,.~=*# #*=~.,,,,,
,.~\=*&### ###&*=\~.,
,.~\=*&### ###&*=\~.,
,,,,,,.\*& &*\.,,,,,,
,,,..~=*## ,. ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ., ##*=~..,,,
,,,.\\=*&# 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. ##&&*=\~.,
,.~\=*&### ###&*=\~.,
,,,~\\\*&& &&*\\\~,,,
,,,,~~==&& &&==~~,,,,
,,,..\\**& &**\\..,,,
,.~\=*&&&& &&&&*=\~.,