.....&&.&. .&.&.&.&.&
&....&&... ..........
.&...&&&.. &.........
..&..&.&&. &&........
...&...&&. &&&.......
....&..&&& .~ ======= ======= ======= ~. &.&&......
.....&.&.& 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. ......&.&&
&.....&&&. ........&&
&&....&.&& ........&.
&&&.....&& &.........
&.&&....&. &&........
..&&&..... .&&.......