....~-*§%§ §%§*-~....
...~-*§%§# #§%§*-~...
..~-*§%§## ##§%§*-~..
.~-*§%§### ###§%§*-~.
..~-*§%§## ##§%§*-~..
...~-*§%§# .~ ------- ------- ------- ~. #§%§*-~...
....~-*§%§ 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. %§*-~.....
....~-*§%§ §%§*-~....
...~-*§%§# #§%§*-~...
..~-*§%§## ##§%§*-~..
.~-*§%§### ###§%§*-~.
..~-*§%§## ##§%§*-~..