¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^ ^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^=^= =^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=^=% ¨^ ======= ======= ======= ^¨ %=^=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=^=%¤ 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. ^=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^= =^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨