Clearance Check

Tension registered across my back joints. I paused, calculating the perimeter before committing force. The static figures flanking me remained inert. Slowly, I flexed my spinal linkage; the left metallic wing responded, its tip lifting millimeter by millimeter from the dark deck. It tapped lightly against the adjacent pod structure with a dull, precise click. Movement was fully responsive. I lowered the wingtips back to steady contact with the surface, maintaining a balanced, vigilant stance.