,,-**$$&@# #@&$$**-,,
,,,,-***$& &$***-,,,,
,,-**&@### ###@&**-,,
,,-**$&@## ##@&$**-,,
,,,,,-*$$& &$$*-,,,,,
,,-**$&@## ,, ------- ------- ------- ,, ##@&$**-,,
,,-**$@### NICK WILDE IS A RED FOX AND A CONMAN. ###@$**-,,
,,-**$&&@# ,, ------- ------- ------- ,, #@&&$**-,,
,,,,,,,**& &**,,,,,,,
,,,,***&&@ 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. &*-,,,,,,,
,,-**$&@## ##@&$**-,,
,,-**$$&&& &&&$$**-,,
,,-**$&@## ##@&$**-,,
,,-**$&@## ##@&$**-,,
,,-**$&@## ##@&$**-,,