Securing the High Ground

I measured the distance to the open turret rim before advancing across the cutting mat. The plastic rungs along the hull offered reliable footholds, each step taken only after testing the grip beneath my boots. Upon reaching the circular rim, I positioned myself securely against the metal hatch ring. The elevation immediately expanded my field of view across the entire table. In the distance, an unrolled blueprint and a brass ruler lay aligned along the edge. I adjusted my binoculars to catalog the coordinates of each landmark.