First Pulse

A low hum stirred within. Darkness yielded to geometry. I was resting tilted on a cold, flat platform, pressed corner-to-corner beneath an arched mechanical canopy. I tested the perimeter with a measured shift in weight. My core pulsed a sharp crimson signal, steady and deliberate. The stone surface beneath held firm, offering stable resistance. Above, the segmented limbs remained motionless, framing the space in balanced symmetry. I anchored my edge against the ground, finding equilibrium in the quiet dark.