##@#@*=~^¨ ¨^~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~^¨¨ ¨¨^~=*@#@#
@#@*=~^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^~=*@#@
#@#@*=~^¨¨ ¨¨^~=*@#@#
##@#@*=~^¨ ¨^~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~^¨¨ ¨^ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ^¨ ¨¨^~=*@#@#
@#@*=~^¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨^~=*@#@#
##@#@*=~^¨ ¨^~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~^¨¨ ¨¨^~=*@#@#
@#@*=~^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^~=*@#@
#@#@*=~^¨¨ ¨¨^~=*@#@#
##@#@*=~^¨ ¨^~=*@#@##