Part One: The Core of the Matter
Chapter One: A New Development
The din of jackadillies blasted Woolsey from his Restday slumber, forced him out of his cot drooling and fur matted. Natural prey instinct froze him for a full second, clod rocks and his worldly possessions tumbling around his head, until a photo album glanced off his head and startled him to alertness. Primal fear gave way to anger.
"Not today," he shouted, scampering out of the collapsing tunnel. "What gives, you snakes? I've got the extension paperwork and you're not allowed to dig for two more weeks!"
"Didn't get the papers in time, sonny, sorry about that," said the Head Digger, who really didn't look all that sorry. He was quite tall for a prairie dog, but his head was disproportionately narrow; his elaborate crystal quartz construction helmet kept sliding down over his eyes. "Once we get going we can't really UN-dig, you know? And TerraCarve will naturally compensate you for up to two-thirds of monetary loss. Really," here he picked up Woolsey's vintage refurbished Moltavision set, a relic that had been in his family for generations, "they'll likely comp you for a lot more than what yer old junk was worth in the first place."
Woolsey bristled. "This is my house."
"Not no more it ain't. It's a lovely layermall now, fulla wokka shops and water-tunnel parks. Now take yer compensation card and get out."
He took the card, a cool rectangular slate etched in bold font: "TerraCarve: Carving Out A New World!" The logo, sleek and modern: a paw with claws extended, combing through layers of earth to the heart that lay in the center.
