..@@.@.@@@ @..@.@..@.
.@.@@@@..@ @.@@@@.@@.
@@@...@.@@ @@...@@.@.
..@..@@@.. .@..@.@@@@
.@@.@..@.@ @@.@@@...@
@.@@@.@@@. ., ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ,. .@@..@..@@
@@..@@..@@ 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. @@..@@...@
@@..@.@@.@ .@.@.@..@.
.@.@@@.@@@ @@@@@@.@@@
@@@..@@..@ .....@@..@
..@.@.@.@. ....@.@.@.
.@@@@@@@@. ...@@@@@@.