Ground Reconnaissance

The floor level is vast. Daylight cuts across the hardwood planks in long angled strips. I advanced from behind the sneaker barrier toward the surge protector. Six heavy plugs were locked into its sockets, thick rubber cables trailing outward like conduit lines. I followed the thickest black cord along the baseboard, stepping over a small plastic bread clip that had settled in a seam. Further out, an open doorway leads toward a sunlit hallway. The surface ahead is clear, offering unobstructed advance across the room.