###&@**~,. .,~**@##
###&@**~,. .,~**@##
#&&*~,,... ...,,~*&
#@***,.... ....,***@#
###&@**~,. .,~**@##
#&&&@**~,. ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. .,~**@&&
#&&****~,. 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. ...,~***
###&@**~,. .,~**@##
&*~....... .......~*&
###&@**~,. .,~**@##
##@***,,.. ..,,***@##
###&@**~,. .,~**@##