..,=/*$#@# #@#$*/=,..
...,=/*$#@ @#$*/=,...
....,=/*$# #$*/=,....
.....,=/*$ $*/=,.....
......,=/* */=,......
.......,=/ ., ======= ======= ======= ,. /=,.......
........,= NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. =,........
.......,=/ ., ======= ======= ======= ,. /=,.......
......,=/* */=,......
.....,=/*$ 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. @#$*/=,...
..,=/*$#@# #@#$*/=,..
.,=/*$#@## ##@#$*/=,.
..,=/*$#@# #@#$*/=,..
...,=/*$#@ @#$*/=,...
....,=/*$# #$*/=,....