@##§:=.... ....=:§##@
###@§=:=:. .:=:=§@###
#==....... .......==#
##@#§=:=:. .:=:=§#@##
####§=:=:. .:=:=§####
##@#§=:=:. .: ======= ======= ======= :. .:=:=§#@##
##@#§=:=:. 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. .:=:=§#@##
####§=:=:. .:=:=§####
##@#§=:=:. .:=:=§#@##
##@#§=:=:. .:=:=§#@##
@@@#§=:=:. .:=:=§#@@@
##@#§=:=:. .:=:=§#@##