Ground Assessment

Internal circuits hum. Weight shifts across four contact points. I test mobility along the front left leg. The polished surface beneath resists slippage. Next to me rests a stationary bone-colored figure. I lean forward by two degrees and extend my right forearm. My hand brushes against its skeletal shoulder plate. Solid. Rigid. Completely immobile. I retract my arm and plant all four limbs firmly along the grain line. Function is verified.