.^=:†&¤@## ##@¤&†:=^.
..^=:†&¤@# #@¤&†:=^..
...^=:†&¤@ @¤&†:=^...
....^=:†&¤ ¤&†:=^....
.....^=:†& &†:=^.....
......^=:† .^ ======= ======= ======= ^. †:=^......
.......^=: 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. =^........
.........^ ^.........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........