@@*==-~... ...~-==*@@
@*==-~.... ....~-==*@
*==-~..... .....~-==*
==-~...... ......~-==
=-~....... .......~-=
-~........ .~ ------- ------- ------- ~. ........~-
~......... 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. ..~-==*@@#
@@*==-~... ...~-==*@@
@*==-~.... ....~-==*@
*==-~..... .....~-==*
==-~...... ......~-==
=-~....... .......~-=