..&..&&... &&...&&...
...&.&&&.. .&&..&&&..
.....&.&&. .&&&.&.&&.
.......&&& .&.&...&&&
&......&.& ....&..&.&
&&.......& ., ======= ======= ======= ,. &....&...&
.&&......& 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. ..&&&....&
&...&.&&.. ..&.&&....
.&....&&&. ....&&&...
..&...&.&& &...&.&&..
...&....&& .&....&&&.
....&...&. ..&...&.&&