...@@..@.. @..@..@...
..@.@.@@.@ @.@@.@@...
.@@.@..@.. @..@..@...
@.@.@.@@.@ @.@@.@@...
@.@.@..@.. @..@..@..@
@.@.@.@@.@ ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. @.@@.@@.@.
@.@.@..@.. 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. @.@@.@@.@.
@.@.@..@.. @..@..@.@.
@.@.@.@@.@ @.@@.@@.@.
@.@.@..@.. @..@..@.@.
@.@.@.@@.@ @.@@.@@.@.
@.@.@..@.. @..@..@.@.