.....,~:$% %$:~,.....
....,~:$%@ @%$:~,....
...,~:$%@# #@%$:~,...
..,~:$%@## ##@%$:~,..
.,~:$%@### ###@%$:~,.
..,~:$%@## ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. ##@%$:~,..
...,~:$%@# NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. #@%$:~,...
....,~:$%@ ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. @%$:~,....
.....,~:$% %$:~,.....
......,~:$ 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. $:~,......
.....,~:$% %$:~,.....
....,~:$%@ @%$:~,....
...,~:$%@# #@%$:~,...
..,~:$%@## ##@%$:~,..
.,~:$%@### ###@%$:~,.