Quiet Alignment

Stillness. Then... a faint mechanical pulse in my chest. I tested my right arm. The joints yielded with a low, controlled click. The space around me was utterly quiet, grey, and vast. Moving with deliberate care, I raised one heavy hand upward. My fingertips met the brim of the small black top hat perched above my brow. A slight press confirmed it was perfectly centered, firm and undisturbed. Everything in its proper order. I let my arm settle back down, holding my ground in the quiet.