§¨§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §§§§¨§§§§¨
§§§§§§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §§§¨§§§§¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§§
§§§¨¨¨§¨§¨       ¨- ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« -¨      ¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨
§¨¨§¨¨§§§§ 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.          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§§§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨§§§§
§¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨
§§§¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§§§¨¨