Grid Inspection

A clear ruler rested across two heavy encyclopedias on the shelf edge. The surface was transparent with precise black millimeter hashes forming an orderly line. I advanced along the wooden plank, planted my molded base against the ruler's plastic corner, and used my rifle barrel to test its stability. Zero wobble. Looking down through the clear plastic, the dark wood grain beneath divided into regular segments. I took three paces along the scale, aligning my boot edge with the five-centimeter marker. Distance measured. High ground remains orderly.