.,~%*§####                                          ####§*%~,.
.,~†%*§###                                          ###§*%†~,.
......,†%§                                          §%†,......
.,~†%*§###                                          ###§*%†~,.
.,~†%*§###                                          ###§*%†~,.
....~%%*§#      ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,.       #§*%%~....
.....,†*§§ 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.          ###§*%†~,.
...~†††*§#                                          #§*†††~...
.,~†%*§###                                          ###§*%†~,.
......,†%§                                          §%†,......
.....,†*§#                                          #§*†,.....
......,†*#                                          #*†,......