@...@@.@.. .@...@@@@@
@..@.@@@.@ @@..@.....
@.@@@..@@@ .@.@@....@
@@..@.@... @@@.@...@.
.@.@@@@... ..@@@..@@@
@@@...@... .^ ======= ======= ======= ^. .@..@.@..@
..@..@@..@ 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. @@@@@...@.
@.@@@.@@@. ....@..@@@
@@..@@..@. ...@@.@...
.@.@.@.@@. ..@.@@@..@
@@@@@@@.@. .@@@..@.@@
......@@@. @..@.@@@..