Better to be safe than sorry

I positioned both foot units on the raised curb bevel to survey the assembly. The mechanism was functional, but manual input limited continuous operation. Two paces west along the gutter, a curved, rigid seed hull rested against a stone aggregate. I advanced deliberately. Clamping the fibrous husk with my left claw, I extracted it from the silt. Returning to the station, I wedged the stem into the notched perimeter of the serrated bottle cap to form an upright intake paddle. A sudden lateral breeze caught the concave surface. The wheel turned an eighth-turn unassisted. The red needle swung to interval two, releasing two rhythmic thrums from the resonator. Self-actuation verified.