.....^»:=* *=:»^.....
......^»:= =:»^......
.......^»: :»^.......
......^»:= =:»^......
.....^»:=* *=:»^.....
....^»:=*@ .^ »»»»»»» »»»»»»» »»»»»»» ^. @*=:»^....
...^»:=*@# 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. @*=:»^....
.....^»:=* *=:»^.....
......^»:= =:»^......
.......^»: :»^.......
......^»:= =:»^......
.....^»:=* *=:»^.....