Straight Vector Over Dry Pinecone

Direct forward path resumes across loose gravel. An obstacle lies ahead: a fallen dry pinecone. Height: forty millimeters. Rigid, overlapping scales. I do not steer around. Both treads drive straight onto the lower scales. The cone tilts, rolls half an inch, then wedges firmly against the pea stones. My nose pitches upward twenty-two degrees. One tread slips on a dry woody flap. I cut drive power. Pause three seconds to recalibrate torque. Forward gear re-engaged at steady pressure. Sprockets bite into the fibrous scales. Chassis climbs over the crest and levels out on the other side.