......-%@@ @@%-......
.....-^%@@ @@%^-.....
..-^%@@@## ##@@@%^-..
..-^%@@@## ##@@@%^-..
..-^%@@@@@ @@@@@%^-..
..-^%@@@## .. ------- ------- ------- .. ##@@@%^-..
..-^%@@@## 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. ##@@@%^-..
..-^%@@@## ##@@@%^-..
..-^%@@### ###@@%^-..
......-^%@ @%^-......
..-^%@@### ###@@%^-..
..-^%@@@## ##@@@%^-..