*%;-~..... .....~-;%*
%;-~...... ......~-;%
;-~....... .......~-;
%;-~...... ......~-;%
*%;-~..... .....~-;%*
&*%;-~.... .~ ------- ------- ------- ~. ....~-;%*&
@&*%;-~... 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. ....~-;%*&
*%;-~..... .....~-;%*
%;-~...... ......~-;%
;-~....... .......~-;
%;-~...... ......~-;%
*%;-~..... .....~-;%*