Stance Adjustment

Consciousness returned mid-motion. My right boot was suspended in the air, angled directly against a towering purple silhouette. I held position, measuring the threat. The creature did not breathe. Its glossy plastic jaw remained rigid. Slowly, I lowered my raised foot until the sole pressed flat against the grooved wooden planks. Balance achieved. I tapped the base of the creature's claw with my arm cannon; the hollow click confirmed it was an inert structure. For now, the perimeter is clear.