@.@..@...@ .@.@@.@@.@
.@@@.@@..@ @@@@.@@.@@
@@..@@.@.@ ....@@.@@.
@.@.@.@@@@ @...@.@@.@
.@@@@@@... @@..@@@.@@
@@.....@.. .~ ======= ======= ======= ~. ..@.@..@@.
@.@....@@. 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. @@@.@@@...
.......@@. @..@@..@..
.......@.@ .@.@.@.@@.
.......@@@ .@@@@@@@.@
@......@.. .@......@@
.@.....@@. .@@.....@.