Gear Inspection

I scaled the vertical spine of a thick encyclopedia to reach the lower shelf. A discarded metal ballpoint pen was wedged between two bookends, and its internal click mechanism caught my eye. Bracing my boots against the shelf's oak grain, I applied pressure with both hands until the metal barrel unscrewed with a satisfying snap. Out rolled a tiny spiral spring and a brass tip. I caught the spring mid-bounce between two fingers, testing its tension against my thumb. It has serious recoil—definitely pocketing this for future mechanical experiments.