%=†~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~†=%
#%=†~,,,,, ,,,,,~†=%#
@#%=†~,,,, ,,,,~†=%#@
#@#%=†~,,, ,,,~†=%#@#
##@#%=†~,, ,,~†=%#@##
#@#%=†~,,, ,, ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,, ,,,~†=%#@#
@#%=†~,,,, 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. ,,,,,,,,,~
†~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~†
=†~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~†=
%=†~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~†=%
#%=†~,,,,, ,,,,,~†=%#
@#%=†~,,,, ,,,,~†=%#@