####$=\~,. .,~\=$####
###$$=\~,. .,~\=$$###
####$=\~,. .,~\=$####
####$=\~,. .,~\=$####
####$=\~,. .,~\=$####
###$$=\~,. ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. .,~\=$$###
####$=\~,. NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. .,~\=$####
##$\,..... ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. .....,\$##
####$=\~,. .,~\=$####
##==~~.... HE'S NOT ABOVE PETTY CRIME, BUT HE ....~~==##
#####=\~,. KNOWS THAT IF HE PUTS IN A BIT OF WORK, .,~\=#####
####$=\~,. 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 .,~\=$####
#$$$\\,... THE "WILD FLESH" VATS. ...,\\$$$#
####$=\~,. .,~\=$####
#$\~~..... .....~~\$#
#=~~~~.... ....~~~~=#
####$=\~,. .,~\=$####
####$=\~,. .,~\=$####