First Pulse in the Thread

W-wait... my fingers just flexed! I was resting flat against this deep red quilted cloth, staring upward, when a sudden spark traveled down through my elbow joints. I carefully shifted my right arm forward, pressing my gloved palm right against the stitched diamond pattern beneath me. The cloth has actual texture—soft ridges, slight friction—and when I pushed down, I really lifted my chest up on my own! Everything works... my balance, my joints... I can actually move!