.^~*§&@### ###@&§*~^.
..^~*§&@## ##@&§*~^..
...^~*§&@# #@&§*~^...
....^~*§&@ @&§*~^....
.....^~*§& &§*~^.....
......^~*§ .^ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ^. §*~^......
.......^~* 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. ##@&§*~^..
.^~*§&@### ###@&§*~^.
..^~*§&@## ##@&§*~^..
...^~*§&@# #@&§*~^...
....^~*§&@ @&§*~^....
.....^~*§& &§*~^.....