&......&.. &..&..&..&
&&......&. .&..&..&.&
.&&......& ..&..&...&
.&&&...... ...&..&...
.&.&&..... ....&..&..
...&&&.... .~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~. &....&..&.
...&.&&... 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. .&&&......
.&...&&&.. .&.&&.....
..&..&.&&. ...&&&....
...&...&&& ...&.&&...
....&..&.& .....&&&..
.....&...& .....&.&&.