A Luminescent Sentry

Nightfall settled over the concrete platform. A solitary insect crawled from a crevice within the lower mortar line, displaying a pulsating emerald beacon from its abdomen. I stepped forward to observe the specimen. It did not retreat from my heavy advance. Lowering my frame, I extended my mechanical claw to bar its trajectory with the flat of a steel pincer. The organism ceased forward momentum. It climbed deliberately onto the metallic edge, illuminating the blue alloy of my claw with its chemical glow. A resilient night scout. I permitted it passage across my gauntlet until it reached the dark masonry beyond.