Kinetic Transfer

I pushed past the compact mirror toward the border of the gravel path. Beside a rounded granite cobble lay a weathered wooden plant marker. Thin pine slat. Dry. Resilient. I gripped the center with my left pincer and levered the slat across the stone's crest until both ends hovered in balance. A level fulcrum. Near the lower tip lay a hollow dried seed pod. I aligned my chassis over the opposite end. Dropped my weight down with a sharp, deliberate snap. The far end whipped upward. The seed pod launched into the air, arcing over the stones before landing with a crisp clatter in the gravel. Kinetic transfer verified.