...~†$*§@#                                          #@§*$†~...
..~†$*§@##                                          ##@§*$†~..
...~†$*§@#                                          #@§*$†~...
....~†$*§@                                          @§*$†~....
.....~†$*§                                          §*$†~.....
......~†$*       .. ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ..      *$†~......
.......~†$ 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.          *$†~......
.......~†$                                          $†~.......
......~†$*                                          *$†~......
.....~†$*§                                          §*$†~.....
....~†$*§@                                          @§*$†~....
...~†$*§@#                                          #@§*$†~...