,,,,=:%% #&%%:=,,,,
,,,=:%%# ##&%%:=,,,
,,=:%%## ###&%%:=,,
,,,=:%%# ##&%%:=,,,
,,,,=:%% #&%%:=,,,,
,,,,,=:%%& ,, ======= ======= ======= ,, &%%:=,,,,,
,,,,=:%% 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. &%%:=,,,,,
,,,,=:%% #&%%:=,,,,
,,,=:%%# ##&%%:=,,,
,,=:%%## ###&%%:=,,
,,,=:%%# ##&%%:=,,,
,,,,=:%% #&%%:=,,,,