#@#&^==... ...==^@#
@#&^==.... ....==^@
#&^==..... .....==^
&^==...... ......==^&
^==....... .......==^
==........ .. ======= ======= ======= .. ........==
=......... 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. ......==^&
#&^==..... .....==^
@#&^==.... ....==^@
#@#&^==... ...==^@#
##@#&^==.. ..==^@##
#@#&^==... ...==^@#