.~~;%%#### ####%%;~~.
..~~;%%### ###%%;~~..
...~~;%%## ##%%;~~...
....~~;%%# #%%;~~....
.....~~;%% %%;~~.....
......~~;% .~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~. %;~~......
.......~~; 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. ###%%;~~..
.~~;%%#### ####%%;~~.
..~~;%%### ###%%;~~..
...~~;%%## ##%%;~~...
....~~;%%# #%%;~~....
.....~~;%% %%;~~.....