..@....@.. @..@..@@..
..@@...@@. @@.@@.@.@.
..@.@..@.@ @.@@.@@@@@
@.@@@@.@@@ .@@.@@....
@@@...@@.. .@.@@.@...
@..@..@.@. ., ======= ======= ======= ,. .@@@.@@@..
@@.@@.@@@@ 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. @@......@.
@@@@@.@@@@ ..@.....@@
.....@@... ..@@....@.
.....@.@.. ..@.@...@@
@....@@@@. @.@@@@..@.
@@...@...@ .@@...@.@@