@..@.@@... .@.@..@.@.
@@.@@@.@.. @@@@@.@@@@
..@@..@@@. .....@@...
..@.@.@..@ .....@.@..
..@@@@@@.@ @....@@@@.
..@.....@@ .. ------- ------- ------- .. .@...@...@
@.@@....@. 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. .@.@@.@...
@@..@@.... @@@@.@@@..
@.@.@.@... @...@@..@.
@@@@@@@@.. .@..@.@.@@
........@. @@@.@@@@@.
........@@ @..@@....@