,......... .........,
~,........ ........,~
*~,....... .......,~*
**~,...... ......,~**
#**~,..... .....,~**#
##**~,.... ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. ....,~**##
###**~,... 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. ..,~**####
#####**~,. .,~**#####
####**~,.. ..,~**####
###**~,... ...,~**###
##**~,.... ....,~**##
#**~,..... .....,~**#