A crawlie walked through my station today. I think it was the same one that came by three weeks ago, sniffing the metal walls with its antennae, perhaps confused by the absence of rock.

Crawlies are the largest organic creatures found at these depths. A typical adult is slightly longer than my hand, though I have seen a few that are larger. We who labor down here have grown fond of them; like us they are armored, and like us they are hard workers. We often see them trudging diligently along the tunnels with a chunk of ore atop their shelled backs, held in place by two of their six legs. They are peaceful and trusting. Several times I have enticed a crawlie to take a nugget of ore from my hand. I do not know much else about them.

I watched this one trundle past with his burden and for an odd moment I envied him.

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