..@@.@.@@@ @.@.@@@@..
.@.@@@@... @@@@...@..
@@@...@... ...@..@@..
..@..@@..@ ..@@.@.@.@
.@@.@.@.@. .@.@@@@@@@
@.@@@@@@@. .^ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ^. @@@......@
@@......@@ 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. @@@@@@.@@@
@..@.@..@@ .....@@..@
@.@@@@.@.@ ....@.@.@.
@@...@@@@@ ...@@@@@@@
.@..@....@ ..@.......
@@.@@...@@ .@@.......