.......,~: :~,.......
......,~:= =:~,......
.....,~:=£ £=:~,.....
....,~:=£¤ ¤£=:~,....
...,~:=£¤¶ ¶¤£=:~,...
..,~:=£¤¶# ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. #¶¤£=:~,..
.,~:=£¤¶## 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. #¶¤£=:~,..
.,~:=£¤¶## ##¶¤£=:~,.
..,~:=£¤¶# #¶¤£=:~,..
...,~:=£¤¶ ¶¤£=:~,...
....,~:=£¤ ¤£=:~,....
.....,~:=£ £=:~,.....