###@@**~-. .-~**@@###
##@@**/~-. .-~/**@@##
#@@***/~-. .-~/***@@#
@****~.... ....~****@
@@***~-... ...-~***@@
#@*/-..... .- ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ -. .....-/*@#
@@@*~~~... 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. ......-~*@
##@@**/~-. .-~/**@@##
@@***~.... ....~***@@
@@*~~--... ...--~~*@@
##@@**/~-. .-~/**@@##
##@@**/~-. .-~/**@@##