#.###.#.#.                                          ..##.##...
#..##.#.#.                                          .#.#..#..#
#.#.#.#.#.                                          ##.#.##.#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#..#.#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.##.#.
#.#.#.#.#.      .- ««««««« ««««««« ««««««« -.       .#.#..#.#.
#.#.#.#.#. 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.          .#.#..#.#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.##.#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#..#.#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.##.#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#..#.#.
#.#.#.#.#.                                          .#.#.##.#.