Testing the Gauntlet

A sudden warmth flooded through my arms, and before I even realized it, my fingers twitched. Wait, I can move? I cautiously curled the heavy oversized gauntlet on my right arm, feeling the joints click smoothly into place. Leaning forward over the edge of the smooth grey stand, I gently tapped the soft, woven fibers of the carpet below. The slight give of the rug pressed back against my fingertips—it was real, entirely tangible, and I was truly standing here awake.