§¨§¨¨§§¨§¨                                          §¨¨§¨§§¨§§
§§§¨§¨§§§¨                                          §¨§§§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§§§§¨¨§¨                                          §§¨¨§§¨§¨§
¨§¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§§§§§
§§¨¨§§§¨§§                                          §§§§§¨¨¨¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§§¨¨      ¨^ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ^¨       ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§§§¨§¨§¨¨ 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.          §¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§§                                          §§¨§§§§§¨§
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨
§¨¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨§§¨§§§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨§§§¨¨